Avatar: The Last Airbender - BOOK TWO:EARTH DmC Definitive Edition
by VLFBERHTwolf
Summary: Avatar Aang continues his quest to master the four elements before the end of summer. Together with his friends and the mysterious Dante, the famed Demonhunter, and he journeys across the Earth Kingdom in search of an Earthbending mentor. Along the way, he confronts Princess Azula, sister to Prince Zuko. But the journey has only began. Rated T for most but M for certain scenes.
1. Chapter 1

_**Water. Earth. Fire. Air.**_

_**Long ago the four nations live together in harmony. Then, everything changed when the Fire Nation attacked. Only the Avatar – Master of all four elements – could stop them. But when the world needed him most he vanished. A hundred years passed and my brother and I discovered the new Avatar: an Airbender named Aang. Although his Airbending skills are great he still has a lot to learn before he is ready to save anyone . . .**_

_**. . . But I believe Aang can save the world. **_

–_**Katara**_

**BOOK TWO: EARTH**

**CHAPTER ONE: THE AVATAR STATE**

The clouds over the Southern Air Temple were thick and grey of an overcast and rain. Aang raced up the steps with the wind howling low and thunder soft and faint in the distance. He entered the small building and saw someone sitting there with their shoulders tense up. Aang saw it was him, his eyes and his blue intricate arrow tattoos glowing on his head and hands. He turned around to face himself before a mighty wind blew; he then saw Katara and Sokka taking cover as he went into the Avatar State, triggered by finding the skeleton of Monk Gyatso. He surrounds him with a sphere of Air before putting his fists together creating blast of light. Aang flew backwards into the hall of the Fire Temple where he spoke to Avatar Roku. The saw the door unlocked and he saw himself again in the Avatar State breathing fire like a dragon before cutting the floor open. Aang was laying water as he saw himself fighting his old friend Dante. Dante was firebending and attacking with Rebellion dressed in a Fire Nation uniform – Aang was in the Avatar state once more. On the beaches of the Earth kingdom they fought until Aang blasted Dante backwards to a rock wall. The nephilim struggled as he fought against the Avatars might. He roared and used all his stored energy to run against the wind and tackle his friend into the water, and onto Aang himself. Finally He fell again and landed on the deck of a Fire Navy ship, he saw the giant essence of the Water Spirit glowing blue as it towered over all before it. Aang looked unto its heart and saw Aang fighting with it. They raised their hands up and slashed at the enemy blow . . .

Aang gasped as he awoke from sleep to find he was safely on the Water tribe ship they went on to travel from the North Pole to the Earth kingdom. He breathed heavily as it he could feel the air and water coming against him, baring witness to his own power.

He jump down from his hammock and climbed up toward the deck for fresh air.

"Aang?" said Katara who woke upon seeing him leave.

On deck the two talked;

"Do you want to talk about it?" she asked.

"Nah . . . just a nightmare." He replied.

Aang knew he could just avoid an issue that was bothering him he had to tell someone was good at listening. That someone was Katara.

"I was in the Avatar State, but I was outside of my body watching myself. It was scary . . . I was scary."

Katara placed a hand on his shoulder to comfort him. Feeling a little better Aang went back down below afterwards. But Katara, who too was about to retire, stopped when she noticed the newest member of the group, sitting sideways, shirtless, with his legs along the boat's railing.

"Dante?"

He looked behind and waved to her as he watched the dark waves below the boat. The sea breeze wasn't as frigid as it was around the North Pole. It was cooler, more soothing.

"What are you doing up?" she asked.

"Heard the sea calling so I came out to watch . . . and I have insomnia sometimes." Dante said pulling out a gourd of wine popping the cork and taking a gulp. "It's mine, you can't have any." He let them know ahead of time.

"I wasn't asking." She assured him, "But I was going to ask you at some point but now am a good a time as any."

"Oh yeah?" he put the cork back in.

Katara leaned against the railing as she watched the waves below."How do you and Aang know each other? For Aang to recognize any old friends, like King Bumi, he would have met them a hundred years ago . . ." She finally asked.

Dante stopped her right there. "WHY do you need to know this?" he asked suspiciously.

"I just what know you a little more, besides being our former enemy."

"I wasn't really trying to being an enemy to you guys. Aang's my friend, you're his friend and Sokka's your brother and an idiot. No offense."

"Heh, none taken." She assured him. It was nice though to hear another say the same thing she has when Sokka was being stupid.

"And you are a strong, confident; girl who is has a warm heart and is matched by her pretty looks." He said in a casual to be shot a wink at her.

Katara blushed a little at the comment. "Oh . . . thanks."

He nodded, "You got boyfriends?"

". . . Uhh, well." she said.

"You know what I don't want to know. Don't tell me which igloo you kissed them in."

"I wasn't . . . are you okay?" Katara asked worried if Dante drank too much.

"I'm fine, lost my necklace, but I'm FINE."

"You lost your necklace, where?" she asked.

"In a fight a while back, can we get back on the subject?" He decided to answer her question anyway. ". . . You're right about one thing. He's 112 years old and according how time works in this world I would be . . . fucking old I guess. "

"Really? I never thought you would be by just looking at you. You look young."

Dante turned to her, "Good. It's bad to judge a book by only its cover. I am a Firebender and I traveled a lot. When I visited the Southern Air temple Aang was just diapered rugrat. When he was older I introduced myself to him. Aang and I became fast friends. Almost like brothers. Then years later he disappeared. He just got up - and left."

Katara remembered what Aang said about why he didn't say who he was when she first met him.

"It must have been hard." She said.

Dante silently watched the sky as he drifted in memory.

Aang fought Dante at the North Pole and he told him the how his disappearance effect him: "_Where were you, Aang? We were supposed to protect them! WHERE YOU WERE WHEN YOU OWN PEOPLE NEEDED YOU? HIDING! TRYING TO PRETEND TO BE SOMETHING YOUR NOT!"_

"What happened when the Fire Nation attacked?" she asked another question which greatly annoyed him.

"You know, I came out here to enjoy the waves, not reminisce about witnessing a mass genocide first hand." Dante give her a piecing glare.

Katara realized again that she can be kind to a fault. A simple question can bring flood of happiness or a flood of sadness. "Uh I'm sorry I don't mean to."

"It's nothing, besides I told you just now anyway. I have witness things like this before; each was more heartbreaking than the last. But . . . ask something else." He cleared his throat and his mind of the memory.

"Okay. Why did you join the Fire Nation afterwards?" she asked another question.

"To see if he did get captured by the Fire Nation and locked up in some maximum security prison. I just figured they would." Dante took another gulp.

Katara was now confused. "That doesn't make any sense. Why would you think they keep him alive wouldn't be easier just to get rid of him completely?" she asked. And it was a good question too.

Dante agreed. "I thought the same thing once. Until Aang was freed by that Blue Spirit guy in that ruin; I was there when the two got surrounded. Then General Zhao ordered his men not to kill the Avatar because he would be reborn again, in the Water Tribe, according to the cycle."

Dante got off and walked back to his Hammock to sleep.

"Wait a minute. What do you think would have happened if they did capture him alive?" Katara asked a final question.

Dante turned and stared. "You figure it out, if you want my opinion he most likely become what I was when I join a group called the Akatsuki." He replied back yawning as he climbed down the ladder.

**MORNING**

The waters of the ocean were calm as the sun shined its warm rays down. The group was ready to fly off on Appa toward the Earth Kingdom. But before they do some gifts were about to be given unto them.

Master Pakku reached into a sack and pulled out the first gift. "Katara, I want you to have this; this amulet contains water from the Spirit's Oasis. The water has unique properties. Don't Lose it."

Katara gave her former teacher a grateful hug. "Thank you, Master Pakku."

Aang was next as Pakku presented the next gift. "Aang, these scrolls will help you master Waterbending. But remember, they are not substitute for a real master."

Aang turned around to Katara, or as she is now the newly dubbed Master Katara. Aang bowed and took his place on Appa.

Dante stepped up next. Master Pakku presented him a sword wrapped in royal blue cloth. "Dante, this Han Sword was won by our previous chief long ago before the war began. He faced off against a Firebender and was defeated in a one-on-one duel. Before he passed on the warrior presented our chief his sword as a gift. That was 2000 thousand years ago and the blade is still as sharp and strong as the day it was forged. A fitting weapon for the Snow Wolf."

"Snow Wolf?" Dante asked for clarity on the nickname.

"In the harshness wastes that is the world, you hunted alone and are tired of war, but you still fight for a noble cause to preserve the balance of the world. You have fought for the enemy's side, your pack was small. Now that you join the Avatar in his journey to defeat the Fire Lord, your pack is large."

Dante accepted it and pulled the blade out of the scabbard to examine it. It was silver-jade blade with a slit gap in the middle which is used to catch a foes blade through it before disarming them with it toss it aside.

"Does it have a name?" Dante asked curiously.

"Temüjin. After its former master, the warrior who created it and passed it on to our ancient chief."

Dante sheathed "Many blessings to you, your tribe and Chief Arnook, Master Pakku." Dante bowed and climbed about Appa.

Sokka was last, but not least. He got the greatest gift anyone, anywhere could bestow on another. Pakku patted his hand on the boy's shoulder. "Sokka . . . Take care, son." the Waterbending master was keeping brave screwball in his prayers. Sokka looked glum afterwards, but he really didn't understand how importantand effective prayers can be.

"Fly straight to the Earth Kingdom base to the East of here. General Fong will provide you an escort to Omashu, there you'll be safe to begin your Earthbending training with King Bumi."

"Appa Yip-Yip!" Dante said to his friend. "Say hi to Gran-Gran for me!" Katara shout back. Just as Appa soar with vigorous speed into the wild blue yonder. Just like how Sting's song it was a brand new day; a new course was set, not to mention a new season to boot.

With the start of a season comes the time of gentle reflection.

In a resort populated with lovely pink Sakura trees located over the water on the very edge of a waterfall at a Fire Nation colony in the Earth Kingdom, the masseuses were at hard at work to make the Dragon of the West feel at home.

"Ahh! . . . this is what I've been missing. Who knew floating on a piece of drift wood for three weeks with no for or water . . . and sea vultures waiting to pluck out your liver could make one so tense." Iroh sighed in the bliss of luxury.

He looked over at his nephew who was sitting up against the side entrance in the sunlight wearing a shade on his head. He was deep in thought, like a dark cloud of sea vultures was looming over his head. He understood why, for when the new season comes again so to the memory of a dark day that defined him forever. Iroh walked over and sat down next to Zuko. "I see. It's the anniversary, isn't it? " he asked.

"Three years ago, today, I was banished. I lost it all - I want it back! I want the Avatar, I want my honor, I want my throne, and I want my father to not think I'm worthless."

Iroh thought the opposite of the last statement. "I'm sure he doesn't; why would he banish you if he didn't care?" Zuko glared at his uncle and walked away to be by himself.

"Eh . . . that came out wrong, didn't it?" Iroh asked the servants behind him. All they could do was look at each other.

Iroh's response held some truth it but it could have been worded differently or just keep it quiet. It sounded like Ozai could have his son executed for all he cared.

On board a Fire Navy flagship was traveling to particularly location at a Fire Nation colony. The ships were larger than most ship in the Fire Navy and were used by those of the VIP status. On this time it was a member of the member of the Royal family. On deck the Royal guard, clad in victory red bowed in of the arrival on a mobile throne carried by servants.

They pull back the front curtains to reveal a teen girl in a slim military uniform suit for her. She was Princess of the Fire Nation, brother to Prince Zuko and daughter to Fire Lord Ozai. Her name was **Azula**.

She stepped out and raised her hand signaling the royal guards to rise. Her golden fiery eyes scanned her subjects carefully, as if to spot any sign of weakness. She wished to speak to them about the mission at hand and began to walk down the middle.

"My brother and my uncle have disgraced the Fire Lord and brought shame on all of us. You have mixed feelings about attacking members of the Royal family. I understand, but I assure you if you hesitate, I will not hesitate to being you down. Dismissed."

The troops left expect for the captain who came to report on their status. "Princess, I'm afraid the tides will not allow us to bring the ship into port before nightfall."

"I'm sorry captain, I don't know much about the tides. Can you explain something to me?"

"Of course, your highness." The captain acknowledged.

"Do the tides command this ship?" Azula inquired.

The captain asked for clarity. "Uh . . . I'm afraid I don't understand."

"You said: 'The tides wouldn't allow us to being the ship in.' Do the tides command this ship?" she asked again.

"No princess." He replied respectfully.

"And if I were to have you thrown overboard would the tides think twice about smashing you against the rocky shore?" she asked grimy.

"No . . . Princess." Now he understands what she means.

"Maybe you show worry less about the tides, who have already made up their mind about killing you, and worry more about me who's still mulling it over."

"I'll pull us in." the captain bowed and ran quickly to the bridge.

She saw his weakness, which was minor, but in her eyes it was too much to begin a steady avalanche of failure. But one must see as time goes on to know if they are indeed right to kill someone.

They final reached the hilly mountain ranges of the Earth Kingdom, but still no sigh of the fortress land and it was starting to get boring already. Aang was watching the as the tops of the mountains pass them, Katara was reading a map to seeing the citadel's location, Dante was examining the ancient sword out of its scabbard, and Momo was nibbling on a Dante's toes since his lost his toe clipper. Sokka suddenly saw their destination and sat up.

"There it is!" he said.

The Earth Kingdom base was a circular fortress with a central tower in the middle; it is connected by thin walls that allow transportation across the mountain range to other military or vital installations. They landed on the roof; Sokka cracked his back, Aang rubbed his bottom, Dante was relieving himself over the railing and Katara checking their bags.

They turned to be greeted by man in Earth nation officer with mighty black bread a kind smile and golden shoulder plates showing his high rank and his troops. They were all barefoot which is common among the Earth Military.

"Welcome Avatar Aang. I'm General Fong. And welcome to all of you great heroes. Appa, Momo, Brave Sokka, the Indomitable Dante, the Mighty Katara . . ."

"Mighty Katara? I like that." She commented with a smile.

Dante shrugged. "You get use to it."

Then fireworks began to go off in the air behind them. Earth solider below in the ground were send green stones filled with explosive powder into the air that once launched they explode in the most colorful of ways and patterns.

" . . . But fireworks are something I will never get use to seeing." Dante smiled, crossed his arms in satisfaction.

Aang, Sokka and Katara have never seen such a spectacle. But Sokka thought it was cool edition when praised as heroes. "Not bad, not bad!" he commented happily.

Inside green glowing stones were used as torches on the large decorative columns. The four heroes sat cross legged beside each other on the padded mats several feet from the Fong's elevated desk.

"Avatar Aang, we were all amazed at the stories at how you single handedly wiped out an entire fire Navy fleet at the North Pole, I can't imagine what it feels like to wield such devastating power. It's an awesome responsibility." The general said truthfully.

"I try not to think about it too much." Aang replied truthfully himself.

General smiled and decided to get right down to business. "Avatar . . . You're ready to face the Fire Lord now."

"WHAT? No I'm not!" Aang protested.

"Aang still needs to master all four elements." Katara added. If anything he needs to be prepared first.

The General didn't see any reason in her statement."Why? What the kind of power he possesses – powerful enough to destroy hundreds of battleships in a matter of minutes – he can defeat the Fire Lord now!"

"But sir, the thing is, Aang can only do those things when he is in the Avatar State." Sokka clarified.

"You see it's this special state where . . ." Aang began until the general abruptly cut him off midsentence.

"I'm well aware! Your eyes and tattoos glow . . . and your able to summon unbelievable power. without you we be slaughtered before we reached their shores." The general stood and walked over to a map of the known world along with the Four Nations. "But with you leading the way, as the ultimate weapon, we can cut a swathe right through to the heart of the Fire Nation."

"R-right but I don't know how to get in or out of the Avatar State. Much less what to do once I'm there." Aang admitted sadly.

As a whole the plan was bold but simple. However, Aang may not be an experienced expert in warfare like the Fong one of the Generals of the Earth Kingdom or even Dante as the famed Demonkiller, but there was one thing he must take into account and that you must be confident in the knowledge he possess, including the Avatar State. But unfortunately has not been taught even the slightest concept of it.

"So it's decided then: I'll help you figure out how you'll get into the Avatar State, and then you'll face your destiny." The General declared.

The four stood straight in dissent to the general's plan. "No, nothing is decided. We already have a plan: Aang is pursuing his destiny – His way." Katara voiced her disapproval.

The General nodded and stood at his desk. "Well, while you take your time learning the elements, the war goes on." He then decided to show the Avatar something that could change his mind. "May I show you something?"

Aang walked over to one of the large circular windows to look below in one of the section's of the base. "That's the infirmary – and those soldiers are the lucky ones. They came back."

One group wounded soldiers below and bandages on their arms and legs due to Firebending burns from the enemy; they were the lucky ones because they still had all their limbs. There was group of men that had bandages but were wounded with various melee weapons. Blood was visible on some bandages due to how deep it was, and some were just had stumps for a leg or arms.

"Every day the Fire Nation takes lives. People are dying, Aang! You can end it, now! Think about it." The General concluded before leaving Aang to his thoughts.

The General is very persuasive. He had to be; in this war that every day the Fire Nation seemed to be winning and gaining more ground in the world. And every time his troops encounter the enemy they get injured or killed, and everything it does it dwindles them down bit by bit. In the general's eyes the Earth Kingdom is desperate in its defeats and the Fire Nation is patient in its conquests.

As the sunset cast its rays on the purple and red cloud once last time the Royal Fire Navy ship sat still on the waters. They reached their destination but she gave the order that she was to not be disturbed on deck while she was perfecting an ancient art of Firebending.

Her twin advisors observed from the steps as she began in her ready stance. To start off she bought her chi back into balance by breathing in deeply, with extended time on the exhale till she inhaled automatically.

Lightningbending is an ancient technique for the Firebenders to harness the power of the storm. Few Firebenders can master it because it is something that contradicts some Firebending teachings. Nevertheless, it is taught to they who have the patience to master it. And those who perform the technique are unique even among the highest Firebenders.

She rotated her elbow and wrist causing electricity to spark and follow on her pointer and middle finger, her right hand also produced the same electricity. The guided energy crackled as she brought the tips of both her pointer fingers and middle fingers together before unleashing the mighty blast toward the horizon in a bright beautiful blue flash of Lightning. Azula's fingers smoked having that much devastating power flow out of her in a blink of an eye.

The wise old twin advisors studied movement of her form and discovered a slight imperfection.

"Almost perfect . . . one hair out of place." said the two sisters beginning with the other finishing.

Azula's eyes darted to the single strand that hanged down the middle of her forehead and causing that annoying pressure that is felt between the eyes and the top of the nose were something hovers there.

"Almost isn't good enough!" she hissed angrily. She sought perfection in everything. And Lightning was not exception.

She tried again. Arcing the lightning under, over, touching the fingers together before unleashing the flash and bang of the storm.

Miles away Iroh was taking a peaceful nap until he heard the sound of nearby thunderclap. For there to be a storm with no sign of it in the sky is indeed very, very puzzling.

Night fell on the Earth Kingdom base. The wind was howling and the night watch was on duty. General again had to do the task of stay up late to review plans and new updates. Aang appeared wishing to speak to him.

"General Fong?" Aang said.

"Come in Aang. Have you thought about our discussion?"

Aang did, very intensely. He knew that being confident in his abilities and knowledge was key to ending that is why the answer he gave was what he believed was the best course of action now.

"I'm in. I'll fight the Fire Lord."

Aang returned to the room that was given to him and his friends. The dim lime green light of the ceiling lanterns was calming before bed, thought Katara. Momo sat peacefully on her lap like a comfortable cat. The four in the room heard the door open and saw Aang returned with a tired expression.

"I told the general I'll help him . . . going into the Avatar state." He explained as he sat down on his alcove bed.

"Aang no! This is not the right way." Katara objected once more.

"Why not? Remembered when you took out the Fire Navy? He was incredible. "Sokka argued in defense of Aang's choice.

"There is a right way to do this: Practice, study and discipline." Katara tried to reminded Aang of what really effective.

". . . Or just glow it and stop that Fire Lord." Sokka offer the other reasonable option.

Katara could believe what she was hearing. "If you two meat heads want to through away everything we worked for, FINE! Go ahead and glow it up!" she walked give up trying to fight it.

"Katara, I'm just being realistic. I don't have time to do this the right way."

He believed this was the best course of action, even if he didn't want to.

Katara walked outside into the cool mountain air and voiced a short loud growl of frustration. She then calm down and was about to go on a walk when she turned to the right and saw Dante sitting over on the railing watching the dark moonless sky.

"So . . . diarrhea?" Dante asked jokingly.

"It's those two in there." she answered.

"Ah . . . Constipation." Dante corrected.

"What?" Katara on where Dante was going with this.

"Nevermind, forget it. What happen that put you in such a mood?"

Katara walked over and leaned against the railing next to Dante explained everything to Dante. After she finished he got off and thought for a moment.

"Well, normally I would agree with . . . 'glowing' something up. But I have to agree with ya' Katara. He has to do it the right way. No excuse."

Katara sighed quietly as she thought on how they could persuade Aang to choose the right way. But it failed on defining issue: Free will.

"But Aang made his choice. There is nothing I can do about."

They both started back to the room for the night. "That General Fong has been readying too many scrolls on the Avatar's power from over many years, he's a power nut." Dante said, for he saw how General Fong was silently licking his chops behind his kind smile. He's seen it before many times - sometimes from the same person.

Far up a mountain path under a mediation pergola everyone gather to watch Aang and Fong try the first idea to activate the Avatar state. With the assistance of a doctor put a speck of herb into the hot tea pot, "This rare chi enhancing tea is a natural stimulant. An ordinary warrior it improves strength and energy tenfold. I you it may induce the Avatar state."

He past the cup to Aang who stared at the cup, behind him Katara Sokka and Momo peeked around his shoulders and Dante looked over his head.

"Ten fold energy, huh?" Aang said before sipping the drink. Then his eyebrow began twitching.

Aang raced on an Air ball around in circles and down the hill and on the ceiling with the energy of a charging _red bull_. "IS IT WORKING, IS IT WORKING?! I CANT TELL! SOMEBOBY TELL ME IF I'M IN THE AVATAT STATE BECAUSE I DON'T HAVE A GOOD FEEL OF MYSELF! I'M I TALKING TOO LOUD?"

The general stroked his bread on thinking on another idea. Dante looked at the tea and thought about trying some later on.

"I guess he could talk the Fire Lord to death." Sokka suggest.

Meanwhile Aang hit one of the columns hard enough to being back to a normal speed.

They tried another idea with Sokka leading.

"Maybe I can shock you into the Avatar state."

"I love surprises." Aang said happily.

Katara covered Aang's eyes; a few adjustments Sokka was ready and she uncovered her hands to reveal Momo's head on Sokka's body screeching like it had rabies.

"RRRRAAAAGGGHHH!"

"AAAAHHH!" Aang screamed before checked his tattoos to see if it even worked. "Still not glowing." He informed the 'monster' in front of him. Momo wanted to get out forcing Sokka to lose balance and fall over.

The general shook his head at another idea down the drain. But he wasn't gonna give up now. They entered a base's temple were a shaman (who look as if he was a struck by lightning half a dozen times) stood presiding over a ritual that may induce the Avatar State.

"You are wearing a ceremonial piece of clothing from each of the bending nations. Now I will join the four elements into one."Into the large bowl he poured a jug of water, a bowl of earth, tossed in a flaming torching and final blew air using bellow. "Four elements together as one!" he declared aloud. He the splashed it down on Aang making him dirty.

"This is just mud!" Aang informed the shaman.

"So . . . do you feel anything?" he asked.

Aang did feel something. It felt strange, with was strong and exceedingly powerful, so powerful in fact-

"AH-CHOO!"

\- So powerful in fact that it exited his nose and covered everyone in mud.

General Fong whipped the mud from his face. "We have to find a way." He said.

Back at the Fire Colony resort he Iroh returned to their dwelling to show Zuko a treasure that no can live their life without . . . SEASHELLS!

"Look at these magnificent shells! I'll enjoy these keepsakes for years to come."

"We don't need any more useless things. You forget we have to care everything ourselves now."

"Hello brother, Uncle."

Zuko and Iroh turned to see a young woman sitting in the back of the room in a chair admiring the other collected shells.

"What are you doing here?" Zuko demanded grimly.

Azula stood up and walked over with a fan shell in hand. "In my country we exchange a pleasant 'hello' before asking questions – have you become uncivilized so soon, Zu-zu."

"DON'T CALL ME THAT!"Zuko shouted, he hated that nickname so much he could fight someone on sight. And Azula was no exception.

"To what, do we owe this honor?" Iroh inquired.

"Hmm must be a family trait, both of you so quick to get to the point!"Azula shatter the shell into pieces. Iroh was shock to see his beautiful shell destroyed like that, but wondered where the she got the strength to do it with her talon-like fingernails. "I've come with a message from home. Father's changed his mind. Family is suddenly very important to him." even she sounds like she believe the first she heard it. "He's heard rumors of plans to overthrow him, treacherous plots, and family are the only ones you can really trust."

Zuko stood there lost in thought as Azula stared back at him. She turned to the side to hide at hidden truth in her eyes while telling him of . . . another one. "Father regrets your banishment. He wants you home."

One of those hidden truths was the fact she reveled greatly in Zuko's dishonor, his injury and banishment. Butnot this time though, certain conditions caused Azula to show her humanity to her own family. Something she rarely looked back at Zuko since he didn't react, didn't do anything but look out the window. "Didn't you HEAR me? You should be happy. Excited, grateful! I just gave you great news."

Iroh tried to console his niece. "I'm sure your brother simply needs a moment . . ."

"DON'T INTERUPT UNCLE!" Azula snapped like an angry snake on a broken branch.

"I still haven't heard my thank you. I'm not a massager – I didn't have to come all this way."

The scarred prince could hardly believe it. "Father regrets? He . . . wants me back?"

Azula turned and left the room. "I can see you need time to take this in, I'll come to call on you tomorrow. Good evening."

Meanwhile back at home base Katara and Dante finds Aang taking a break watching the sunset alone. Due to the last attempts not be successful she decide to do it while she still can.

"Can we talk about something?" asked she.

"Sure." Aang said a bit tired from the trial-&-errors of today.

"Do you remember when we were at the Air Temple and you found monk Gyatso's skeleton? I must be some horrible and traumatic for you. I saw you get so upset that you weren't even you anymore. I'm not saying the Avatar state doesn't have incredible - helpful power – but you have to understand, for the people who love you, watching you be in that much rage and pain is scary."

Aang was quiet as he went over what Katara said. To hear that he was terrifying in the Avatar state from another point of view was an expected revelation.

"I'm glad you told me that," He thanked her, "**B**ut still need to do this."

Katara could not get the picture. "I don't understand."

"No you don't. Everyday more and more people die; I'm already a hundred years late. Defeating the Fire Lord is the only way to stop this war."

". . . Or you prolonged it. Aang, power sometimes has a funny way of making the enemy rise out its own ashes even stronger than before. If I didn't win my battles by power alone, it did with a plan that was fool proof."

"Dante, you were hired by the Fire Nation as mercenary. Even though you were in it for money, I know you can still see it from my point of view.

"I can, yes, but I can't guarantee the general's plan is idiot-proof. As the Avatar you need to know how you work before anyone else does. "

Aang turned to Katara again. "I have to try it."

Katara began to walk inside. "I can't watch you do this to yourself. I'm not coming tomorrow. Goodnight."

"Goodnight." Aang replied back.

"Goodnight, little bro." Dante said as he followed after Katara.

"Goodnight, big bro." Aang said back as he was alone once more on the terrace, and his decision.

Elsewhere in the Iroh and Zuko's dwelling things were as quiet as the noisy crickets outside in the night. Zuko was exited to return home and began to gather their things. Iroh on the other hand was deep in thought. While the thought of going home is a comfort his mind as well as any man's, there was a factor that exerts a braking force. Why, in all the history of the world, would his younger brother Ozai suddenly change his mind to revolt his son's banishment? Plus, this business on a plot to overthrow Ozai is not a new one; there was attempt that was so close in succeeding but it still failed. And now there was another, according to Azula. If there is one thing he learned by being a member of the royal family is that ambition always and a way of bouncing back on oneself in the form of a plot of usurpation by those close to you, those you new thought were capable of it because it went against their values. But if there is a new value in their life that eclipses all others they will not hesitate to bring it into fruition.

Zuko failed at mission, again, and Iroh has finally betrayed his brother, the Fire Lord. Word would have reached home and they would try to find them in the nearest place the fire Nation could call home: A Fire colony. Something just didn't add up smoothly to the words Azula has said to them.

Zuko on the other hand still couldn't help voice his joy in the good news. "We're going home, after three long years, it's unbelievable." He said.

"It IS unbelievable." Iroh final spoke after mediating on the subject, "I have never known my brother to regret anything."

"Did you listen to Azula? Father realized how important family is to him. He cares about me!"

Iroh has listened but has Zuko listen to the voice of commonsense he would be as cautious as his uncle. "I care about you! And if Ozai wants you back . . . well, I think I may not be for the reasons you imagine."

"You don't know how my father feels about me. You don't know anything!" Zuko exclaimed.

Iroh tried explained to his nephew. "Zuko, I only meant that in our family, things are not always what they seem."

"I think you are exactly what you seem: A lazy, mistrustful shallow old man who's always been jealous of his brother!" Zuko yelled and stormed off leaving Iroh alone with the truth few can see.

Once more in the realm of shadows Aang was time at the South Pole on the Fire Navy Ship this time. He watched as he was knocked overboard like the soldiers that were in his place. He then saw Zuko try to run and was cut down by Water that was like a blade . . .

Aang awoke started with at what he saw and how he could feel the death he cause to the adversary that chased him. The air in their room was normal but the dream made him hot. "Sokka? Sokka, wake up." His friend stirred with a small moan as he opened his eyes.

"I don't think we should be trying to being on the Avatar state."

Sokka glanced at his sleepy friend, "You sure?" he asked.

"Yes." Aang answered.

"Okay." Sokka replied back.

Aang asked another question. "Do you think the General will be mad?"

Sokka shrugged. "What can he say? You're the Avatar. Who know better than you?"

That is something to remember and never forget. Aang lay back down as he tried to get some sleep. Dante overheard them and was relieved to hear Aang changing his mind. He touches the space on his chest where his ruby necklace would have been. He lost it at the siege of Ba-Sing-Se and will most likely never find it again. And yet something is telling him that it is not **lost**, but simply **hidden** in the great city, somewhere.

Once it was morning Zuko hurried down to the docks where the Royal ship was waiting for him.

"WAIT! Don't leave without me!" Iroh called after his nephew.

Zuko was happy to see him. "Uncle? You changed you mind!"

"Family sticks together, right?" Iroh said smiled, the memory of Lu'ten and Zuko playing on the beach, beamed in his mind.

"We are finally going home." Zuko sighed and continued down the steps.

Iroh cast his gazed on the waiting ship. He hoped that was the case. That nagging feels was getting worst the closer he got to the ship.

The family that prays together stays together. The family that sticks together survives together.

Iroh owes that to his beloved son.

Sokka and Dante watched as Aang stood before the General to speak of his new decision.

"The thing is, I don't think we'll be able to trigger it on purpose, so I guess that it."

The General was disappointed that everything they tried was not the right way.

"Sure I can't change your mind?" asked the General.

Aang nodded, "I'm sure. I can only reach the Avatar state when I'm in genuine danger."

"I see . . ."The General pondered on that and realized there was another way, a very underhanded way. "I was afraid you say that."

The General slide his right foot behind him and pushed desk toward the Avatar. Aang had little reaction time as it knocked out the window. Realizing what happened he bended the air under him so he can land and roll softly on the training yard floor.

"AANG!" Sokka shouted as the guards quickly restrain him.

"Men! Attack the Avatar!" General order his men below.

Aang shook his head to clear his head before he saw the general leaped below. The impact of his landing caused the stone ground to go up and down like a wave.

"What are you doing?" Aang shouted.

"I believe we are about to get results." The general answered.

The Earthbending soldiers took position on the circles that lined the wide walkway and bended the stone circles in the air. Calvary readied their spears. The stone circles rolled toward Aang who evaded with a vertical spin. The next ones flew horizontally forcing Aang to spin right between them.

"I'm not your enemy! I won't fight you!" Aang tried to convince the soldiers to stop.

He jumped up when four stone wheels tried to crush him in the middle. He then was tripped as on was knocked from under his feet. Suddenly two of the wheels closed and Aang hide in the wheels spaces. The nearest Earthsoldier pulled the stone wheel toward him and punched it to dust! Aang stood as there was literally no place to hide in the stronghold of sandstone that Earthbending can't reduce to rumble. There no place to run and no place to hide.

Back in the General's office Sokka lifted up his legs and back kicked the guards in the shins. The soldiers surround Dante who pulled out his small wine gourd and took a sip.

"Freeze!" the guard warning.

"Oh please. You're not Waterbenders and this isn't the Northern Pole. You are Earthbenders and this is the Earth kingdom. So . . ." Dante suddenly grabbed a soldier's leg behind him and whacked guards painfully thru the walls and out into the mountains. ". . . Take a dirt nap, assholes."

Thru the busted window Sokka and Dante watched as Aang bobbed and weaved thru a optical course of death on his airball. He drove up the side of the wall until his airball dissipated forcing him to run; but the cavalry on the Horse-birds leaped straight up, Aang flipped backwards narrowly evade the spears sharp curved blades. Aang landed back down to the ground and tried to find another way out but he was caught in a trap when the stone ring below him rose up and dragged him to the general.

"You can't run forever!" Fong reminded the boy Avatar.

"You can't fight forever!" Aang reminded the general back.

Though both will try their best to do so.

On the dock bordered with lovely red trees the crimson clad elite guards stood at attention as Zuko and Iroh walked between them, Zuko kept his eye toward home while Iroh kept his eyes on everyone around them. Azula waiting for them up the ramp on board the royal ship. She watched with glossy eyes as they came closer. All was going well this day.

"Brother! Uncle! Welcome. I am so glad you decided to come." Azula bowed to them in greeting.

They returned the gesture, though Iroh still kept a falcon's eye on the high trained guards behind them.

"Are we ready to depart your highness?" asked the captain.

"Set our course for home, captain." Azula acknowledged.

"Home." Zuko echoed quietly as he would long to see again.

"You heard the princess! Raise the anchor! We're taking the prisoners home!"

The captain goofed again. A highly decorated officer of the Royal Fire Navy goofed again. Now Azula was going too executed later on for being an idiot. "Your Highness I . . ."

Zuko couldn't believe his eyes. Iroh narrowed his as it was time to run. He back handed the guards behind him and proceed to keep them at bay with CQC. Zuko pulled the guard out of his way and into the water below; he was furious that his own blood would betray him, again. "You LIED to me!" he snarled.

"Like I never done THAT before." she smirked and turned around waving goodbye. Two elite guards threw fire at the prince which he bended right through spirit yelling his way through them.

Meanwhile, Aang was spirit yelling for his life as he evaded the stone rings trying to flatten him. The Earthbending tremors can be felt all the way into the room where Katara and Momo were. "I wonder what crazy thing they are trying now."

Momo didn't know and therefore try to return to sleep."Maybe we should just make sure Aang's okay."

The General watched the Avatar until he was hit in the back of the head by a brick. He rubbed the back of his neck and turn to see the Demonkiller himself. He had another brick at the ready to toss another.

Dante pointed straight at the Fong in challenge. "Why don't you pick on someone you own size?"

The general stomped his foot to the ground in accepting the challenge. "Maybe I will. You're inferring with progress."

"You feet smell like process." Dante quipped back.

"Do you really believe you can stand me?" asked the General.

Dante rolled his eyes. "Oh God, don't tell you to monologue me now?"

"I'm a General of the Earth Kingdom . . . !"

"Ugh, here we go." Dante folded his in hearing another loser talk about how great they are (Or were).

After a total tow minutes the General came to the point. ". . . You may be the firebender known as the Demonhunter known as a friend by all, but I wonder what status it would get me if I defeated you . . . soundly."

Dante shrugged, "Probably the bad kind. Fans from all over, crowding to get in the fort, to kick your ass." Not that people know who Dante was they just don't know the name, or the person, belong to the traveling warrior. He could pass thru the crowd and go unnoticed, and Dante would not care if they did know. That was not his goal. But what did care about are those that are his friends.

"I fought Firebenders before so would be no problem." General Fong concluded and took a standard Earthbending fighting stance.

"That's what they all say." Dante sighed and took a Firebending fighting stance.

Some of the soldier surrounded the General and Dante. They will make sure the hunter doesn't escape. The General made his move first summon a boulder from the ground and launching at Dante. The Nephilim leaned forward and clapped his hands straight in forward busting the rock in to dust.

That wasn't a firebending. That was an Earthbending technique. Dante ran punching and kicking the rocks thrown at him. The General had to put some distance between himself and his opponent quickly. He slide backward before Dante could reach. The soldiers came at him from the both sides and Dante side kicked column of Earth to their chest. He round house kicked the next ones and found he was General's sights as he came down with both first to crush. Dante summon Eryx and punched the man square in the face so hard that it sent him fly into the end zone. But general at a trick up his sleeve as he pulled a wall of Earth he pulled up. Dante turned it in time but could get out of the way. All he could do was try to stop it with his hands as the force of it force his feet to go down a few inches. The General ordered his men to keep him down while he focused on the Avatar.

Outside Katara ran down the steps meeting her brother at the bottom.

"What's going on?" she asked.

"The general's gone crazy! He's trying o force Aang into the Avatar state." Sokka thru his boomerang which circled around and hit one of the soldiers about to attack Aang with one of the stone rings.

Aang sprint away from a Soldier on a horsebird. Katara whipped her water out cutting the blade of a spear before knocking him off.

Sokka got the idea to mount the armored steed for a better advantage in this fight. "Good bird-horse-thingy." The steed dragged its foot backward as it was ready to go. But since he is not use to riding the animal he took off in the wrong direction.

The Earth soldiers attempted to make the stone slab crush Dante flat. "You guys look thirsty. Wants some water?" asked someone. They turned to see Dante a standing with a bucket of water drink it from a ladle.

"No? How about some red wine then?" He drops the bucket as he grabbed his new sword Temüjin and unsheathed. He slashed quickly that the soldiers fell down with painful nonlethal cuts.

Across the way Katara was trapped in the middle. The General turned to see Aang safely on the upper level. "Maybe you can avoid me . . . But she can't."

A soldier shouted an order to turn the rings so Katara could not escape the triangle corner she was in. Katara whipped the water forward only to have the general stop it with sand turning it to mud. He then caused Katara to sink into the ground up to her knees.

"Ugh, I can't move!" she exclaimed.

"Don't hurt her. " Aang said as he jumped and bent a cyclone straight at the general. The General blocked it with a wall from the ground and sank Katara up to her waist.

She screamed which caught Sokka ears."Katara, no!" he charged at full gallop only to have the horsebird sink in the ground by the generals Earthbending. Sokka flew forward landing in a ring.

Aang ran to the General and grabbed his arm pleading for mercy. "Stop this! You have to let her go!"

"You could save her if you were in the Avatar state!" Fong remind Aang.

"I'm trying! I'm trying!" Aang said nearly on the verge of tears.

"Aang, I'm sinking!" Katara called out as she sank up to her torso.

"I don't see GLOWING." The General said grimly.

He curled his fingers more causing Katara sink more. "Please!" she cried out as she was now up to neck. soclose to being buried alive, something she dreaded.

Dante ran toward the General until he was tackled to the ground by a lot of soldiers. "YOU BASTARD!" He roared as his eyes glowed with demonic energy.

"You don't NEED TO DO THIS!" Aang plead as he was on his hand and knees in submission.

"Apparently, I do." The General said as he clenched his fist. Aang jumped toward Katara only to have her disappeared out of sight.

Then, like something just snapped due to stretching it out too far, Aang's tattoos and eyes glowed white. The Avatar stated finally activated.

"It worked. It worked!" She General shouted in triumph.

Like a might whirlwind of a tornado a ball of air formed around Aang as he blasted back the General. Aang rose on a column of dust as he was about to go on a rampage.

Speaking of a rampage Zuko punch and kicked the guards out of the way and now stood face to face with his sister. She expected him to make his way up here without a problem. Zuko create two flaming Daggers out of his clenched fists.

"Zuko! Let's go!"Iroh shouted. He his hands full in fighting off the guards. If they didn't leave out of this window of opportunity then they are doomed.

But Azula knew Zuko would not run, they free sparred as children, sometimes on dares. This was all just an amusing game to Azula. Zuko was to enrage that Azula easily pushed him back with some well timed blocks and counters.

"You know, father blames uncle for the lost of the North Pole. And he considers you a miserable failure for not finding the Avatar. Why would he want you back home expect to lock you up so you can no longer embarrass him? "

Zuko jump-kicked fire toward Azula slashing with his flame daggers. Azula countered with a slap that left three cuts on the side of his bald for head. The pain only fueled his rage more as he charged like a sabertooth bull to toward her forcing her up the steps to the platform. She blocked all his blows until she halted him in his track by seizing him by the arm. The princess and princess stared each other down each refusing to show weakness. Then Azula shot out a flame of blue fire out her extended pointer and middle fingers causing Zuko to stumble backwards back down the steps.

Blue firebending: The rarest of all Firebending, hotter than normal colored fire and yet looks very cold at the same time.

Azula knows where to poke Zuko with a sharp stick. Her plan was to feed his anger so he wear himself out then she would deliver the crimpling blow.

Zuko sat up with his vision clearing up to see Azula revving up her lightning to destroy her brother. Out of nowhere in a flash Iroh grabbed her extended hand and redirected the current out of his other fingers safely toward the rocky face of the coast. He then kicked his niece off the ship and with his nephew running beside him they made a brake for it.

Family matters are indeed complicated.

Back in the Earth fort the General stood before the tornado that Aang created.

"Avatar Aang! Can you hear me?" The general pulled Katara out if the ground, "You friend is safe. It was just a trick to trigger the Avatar state – AND IT WORKED!"

Aang then dropped to the ground so hard that he caused the grounds in the training to ripple up in down with a combination of Earthbending and Airbending causing everything to be repulsed in all directions. The soldiers that had Dante on the ground where knocked in the Air and him with them flying and hitting the ground hard. The wind that carried the dust was sucked in towards the center. The Avatar could truly be the ultimate weapon.

Then summon out of his body Aang float in the air and on to Avatar Roku's Dragon as he fly toward the clouds. "It time you learned." He said.

Aang saw in the clouds his many predecessors, the Avatars from the Four Nations. They all have come to share with Aang another cold truth. "The Avatar State is a defense mechanism" Roku explained to Aang, "Design to empower you with the skills and knowledge of all the past Avatars." Aang say the ones before Roku bending their respective element of their nation, the Earthbender Kyoshi moved monolith statues, a Waterbender created a giant tidal wave that he road on with his boat, A female Airbender created a mighty gust of wind that blew the grass and trees of the Savannah and lastly a firebender caused the volcanoes behind in to erupt. "THE GLOW is a combination of all your past lives, focusing their energy thru you body. In the Avatar state you are at your most powerful – but are also at your most venerable."

"What do you mean?" Asked Aang to the old master.

"If you are killed in the Avatar State the reincarnation cycle will be broke – and the Avatar will cease to exist."

Roku's dragon went into a dive and Aang returned into his body. Aang dropped to the ground as an out of body experience was tiring. He looked around at the destruction he caused. It was heavy and not pretty. It would take at least weeks to repair the damage. The fact he again learn the truth too late is almost as bad as learn the truth too early. People are in the dark when a truth is with held and when they try to force it out I can cause . . . disastrous effect. He saw Dante limp toward him with small cuts on his face.

He knelt down and put his hand on Aang's shoulder right shoulder."Are you okay?" he asked.

"Yes . . . and no." Aang rest his himself on his knees thinking on what he done. Katara came over and hug him tightly. "I'm sorry Katara; I hope you never have to see me light that again."

"Ha! Are you joking? That was almost perfect! We just need to find a way to control you when you like that." The General said giddy as ever.

"You're out of you mind." Aang informed him.

The General Shrugged ignoring Aang's commented. "I guess we will figure it out on the way to the Fire Nation."

Dante summoned Rebellion in his hand and pointed at the General menacingly "That's it! Pick your choice: HEAD, GUT OR GROINING?"

Sokka quietly road up behind him Fong and made that decision for the General by hitting the hilt of his club on his head. "Anybody who got a problem with that?" Sokka asked the rest of the soldiers, which they shook their head quickly.

"Do you still want and escort to Omashu?" a soldier asked.

Looking at the destruction around them that Aang caused the answer was pretty obvious.

"I think we're all set." Katara replied.

It wasn't the soldiers fault, they were just following orders. However there would be an inquest into General Fong's behavior.

Back at the resort Azula issued a new wanted poster featuring two new faces of the Fire Nation's most wanted. She held it up to the resort's works to make sure they have it engraved on their minds.

"Anyone who harbors these traitors will face the wrath of the Fire Lord. There will be no place left to hide!" she said grimly.

Miles away from the resort Zuko and Iroh sprinted till they were tired and sat beside a stream. "I think were safe here." Iroh huffed.

Not there were not safe in any place that the Fire Nation owned or conquered. They need to disappear into the Earth Kingdom; it's the biggest of the four nations and home to a diversion range of people of different race, skin color, culture and creed. It was like a haven for people to escape the storm.

However there was one creed that Zuko and Iroh were to embrace first: Change.

Zuko pulled out the dagger Iroh and given him. The characters read: _Never give up without a fight_.

He raised it to the base of his scalplock and after hesitating for a moment, he cut it off. He passed the dagger to his uncle who did the same to his topknot. Then they both dropped the hair in to the stream and watch carried it away out of sight and out of mind. To survive one must shred away things of comfort. To accomplish a goal one must choose a path that succeeds. To redeem oneself of a past sin one must always remember that it is braver to live than to die.

**Author's note 1#:**

**I did it again I posted another story before anyone else. Hooray!**

**I know that some have written Devil May Cry and Avatar The Last Airbender crossovers before, but they featured Classic Dante. I enjoyed those.**

**But Nevertheless, HOORAY!**

**BUT this one is the first because it has DmC Dante. Which seems to be more fitting than Classic Dante. Not that I'm bashing classic Dante. DmC Dante is a flawed, enduring protagonist. Something that is recurring theme in the world of Avatar.**

**Why I did make Dante be a Firebender? Well Iroh explains that Fire is the element of energy, power. In the Legend of Korra, Korra learns that in the beginning the first Avatar was indeed . . . a Firebender.**

**But I decided to have Dante be able to bend all four elements because it fits. Some of weapons from Classic, DmC, and New Classic (if you noticed) are elemental in nature. But what if, as he gain new weapons, he gain new powers as he evolves? I always wondered that.**

**However I decided that Dante will not be able to us Airbending as much as Aang would. After all it is call: AVATAR: The Last Airbender. So Dante can bend all four like Aang but he doesn't have the Rava's influence like the first one. Like Luke Skywalker Dante's just a guy who has unrivaled power who is using to help people. DmC Dante is like Jon Snow, living Song of Fire and Ice.**

**Anyway, see you dudes later then.**

**;3**


	2. Chapter 2

**BOOK TWO: EARTH**

**CHAPTER TWO: THE CAVE OF TWO LOVERS**

The Sun is like a perfect lover that you meet every now and again. Warm, inviting and it promises that it would return when the veil of night has run it course.

Somewhere on the road to Omashu our heroes decided to take some rest at a river. They didn't have swimwear so they used what they got. Aang pulled off his shirt and rolled his pants, Katara and Sokka had on their wrapped undergarments, Dante had on black boxers and Appa and Momo just had their fur. They jumped in and found the water to be cool and refreshing as the season of spring.

Dante went into the deep and took a deep breath and ducked underwater. The water was clear as glass with the sun's ray's shine down, shifting by the rippling water above. He enjoyed the serenity of being underwater greatly. The water may plug up his ears but that means he doesn't have to listen to Sokka's incisive whining. A few bubbles escaped his mouth and surfaced the water after he accidently hit his foot on a rock. Meanwhile Katara decided to teach Aang a new form in Waterbending while Sokka floated about on a leaf he found that is strong enough to support him. Momo slept curled up on his chest.

"You guys are done to be done soon, right? We got a lot of ground to cover if we are going to make it to Omashu." Sokka remind them.

"What, like you are ready to go right now, naked guy?" Katara asked sarcastically. Sokka moved his long hair out of his eyes. "I can be ready in two minutes. Seriously, whenever. " Of everyone's undergarments Sokka's was the most revealing due to its size.

Dante came back into the shallow and sat down on the shore looking at some rocks he found at the bottom. "Right. You know what the army would call you readiness? First to be in the grave."

"So . . . you were showing me the octopus form?" Aang want to get back on track.

"Right. Let me see your stance." Katara instructed.

Aang took a stance but it was too wide. Katara came over to correct it by moving behind him and grabbing his hands. "Your arms are too far apart . . . See if you move them closer together – you protect you center – you got it?"

Aang blushed at how close she was to him, how he could feel the warm of her body in the sun. "Oh, yeah, thanks" he answered sheepishly. Dante smirked and chuckled quietly to himself.

Katara returned across from him and to a fighting stance. "Okay let's see what you got!"

Aang went lower and gathered the water together. He then threw it out creating watery arms of an octopus on his left and right. The idea of mastering this form of Waterbending is that when one surround by enemies can their defense is the whipping tentacles. When projectiles are being thrown the broad arms can shield from attack. Katara launched a barrage ice spikes from the water like throwing darts. Aang used the arms to block the incoming projectiles. Then he saw and opening and took it; sending one of the tentacles out and wrapped around Katara's leg. Taken by surprise, effectively exploiting the opponents opening in attacks and fluid octopus grace in his form, "You make a fine octopus, pupil Aang." Commented Katara with a satisfied smile, Aang responded by dancing the octopus dance by bending the water to form the head of and holding his breath.

Momo awake and his big ears caught the sound of lute, flue and drum music and someone singing. Sokka moved the ear apart to see before falling off his giant leaf as the words of the song reached everybody else's ears:

"_**Da-da-da-da-da**_

_**Don't fall in love with the traveling girl.**_

_**She'll leaving you broken-broken hearted."**_

Out of the tree line a troupeof colorfully dress hippies (that appear to be dancing on sunshine to the song) strode past and stop at the sight of people in the river. The leader is a tan guy dressed in an outfit that reminds Dante of a type of Polynesian style robe and hat. "Ha-hey, river people!" he greeted them with a wave.

"We're not river people." corrected Katara.

"You're not? Well then what kind of people are you?" asked the hippie asked.

"Just . . . people." answered Aang.

"And that's all there is to it." Dante added.

"Aren't we all, brother. Whew!" the hippie acknowledged with a stung on his lute.

Sokka, the unofficial critic of life walked out of the deep was and pointed a finger at the colorful strangers. "WHO are you?" he asked.

"I'm Chong, and this is my wife Lily." He introduced, "We're nomads - happy to go wherever the wind takes us." Chong briefly shredded on his lute while making random hippie noises.

"You guys are nomads? That's great! I'm a nomad!" Aang said with joy.

"Hey, me too!" Chong said.

"I know . . . you just said that." Aang reminded him.

"Oh . . . NICE underwear" Chong complemented the kid on fashionable Watertribe underwear. Sokka quickly grabbed Momo and censored himself from the eyes of the hippies . . . and that of the readers.

But elsewhere in the Earth Kingdom, Iroh gasped at an extraordinary sight: A white flower with red on the inside of the flowering petals. Out of the brushes Zuko stumbled out frustrated at his current circumstances, but the good thing his hair was starting to grow back. How he missed having a full head of hair.

"I didn't find anything to eat. I can't live like this. I wasn't meant to be a fugitive - THIS IS IMPOSSIBLE! " Zuko exclaimed his complaint to . . . NOBODY!

Iroh took a deep breath as he smelled the aroma of the flower. Zuko noticed that Iroh had said anything about being grateful for being alive. "Uncle, what are you DOING?"

"You are looking at the rare White Dragon Bush. Its leaves make a tea so DELICIOUS its heartbreaking . . . That, or it's the White Jade Bush which is poisonous." Iroh really didn't know since it been a while since he study things of the flora kingdom.

"We need food, not tea. I'm going fishing." Zuko turned and walked to the nearby river.

Iroh still pondered his puzzling mind on this puzzle before him: "Hmm, delectable tea . . . or deadly poison?"

Appa groaned as he saw giant white braids the Hippies done. Whether it was a happy groan or not no one was sure. Everyone else rest on the fluffy cuddly Sky-bison; Aang got flowers made and placed on his head, Katara was getting her hair braid in a new style and Dante enjoy a little bit of the relaxing weed the hippies had, puffing circles in the air like a mellow magic dragon.

"Hey Sokka, you should hear some of these stories, these guys have been everywhere!" said Aang.

Chong corrected him. "Well, not everywhere, little Arrow-head. But where we haven't been, we heard about through stories and songs."

Aang continued. "They said they will talk us to see a giant night crawler."

"On the way there's a waterfall that creates a never-ending rainbow." One of the hippies added in the bliss of the memory.

Sokka on the other hand decided be the voice of reason, again. "Look I hate to be the wet blanket here, but since Katara is busy and Dante is in his happy place, I guess it's up to me." Katara and Dante gave him annoyed glare. "We need to get to Omashu. No side tracks, no worms and definitely not rainbows" Sokka seems really prejudice against rainbows.

Chong was surprise at the uptight skinny boy attitude. "Whoa. Sound like ones got the case of 'destination fever'. Heh, you worry too much about where you're going."

"You got to focus less on the WHERE and more on the GOING." Lily added.

"O-MA-SHU!" Sokka annunciated their destination to the happy idiots.

Katara agreed with her brother. "Sokka's right. We need to find King Bumi so Aang can learn Earthbending somewhere safe."

"Sounds like you're headed to Omashu." Chong stated, causing Sokka to smack his head in frustration.

Suddenly Chong is reminded of something pertaining to Omashu, "There's an old story about a secret pass – right through the mountains."

Aang 'OOH-ed at Katara who was skeptically. "Is this real or a legend?" she inquired to Chong.

"Oh it's a real legend and it is as old as Earth bending itself."

Chong began to play a pretty tune while rocking his body side-to-side sing the song. Aang, Katara and Dante rocked with him with happy expressions on their faces. Chong's wife played the flute while the big guy played the drums on his back.

_**Two lovers, forbidden from one another**_

_**A war divides their people**_

_**And a mountain divides them apart**_

_**Tunnels a dark path to be together. . . **_

. . . Yeah I forgets the next couple of lines but then it goes . . .

_**SECRET TUNNEL! SECRET TUNNEL!**_

_**Through the mountain!**_

_**SECRET SECRET SECRET SECRET TUNNEL! Yeah.**_

Everyone clapped and Sokka remained stubborn as the mountain. "Think we will just stick with flying. We dealt with the fly nation before. We will be fine."

Aang agreed. "Yeah thanks for the help but Appa hates going underground, and we need to do to whatever makes Appa most comfortable."

That was the idea. Making Appa most comfortable. They got on Appa and soared over the mountain ridges.

"Launch!" the Fire Nation commander ordered the catapults to fire at the fly beast the Avatar is reported to ride on. The fire screamed toward them forcing Appa to take evasive maneuvers. Everybody including Momo screamed for their lives. Dante instead cheered as he enjoyed the ride. It reminded him of riding the Earthbending ride called **The Wild Mouse**.

The hippies rest at a mossy log and looked up and saw Sokka and his gang walking past covered in soot. "Secret love cave . . . let's go." He said in defeat.

Having an idea and trying to execute it because it would be comfortable for the party doesn't always work.

Zuko returned to uncle with a long sharp stick with a tiny wiggling fish impaled on it. He guessed that early fisherman gets the giant bass.

"Zuko?" Iroh asked his nephew when he returned, "Remember that plant I thought might be tea?"

Zuko knew that sound in his uncle's voice, it mean when he was sure about something only to discover that he was actually wrong – DEAD wrong! "You didn't . . .?" Zuko asked.

"I did . . . and it wasn't."Iroh said and turned around to reveal pink rashes on the side on his head. Zuko jumped back in disgust at the sight of it.

Iroh was scratching his cheek, neck and behind his back for it was like having tiny needles rub his skin from underneath. "When rash spreads to my throat, I will start bleeding. BUT LOOK WHAT I FOUND!"

Iroh joyfully revealed to his nephew a branch that has pretty pink cluster of berries, "These are Pakkuey berries – known to cure the poison of the white jade plant. THAT or Makuey berries that cause blindness."

This was getting ridiculous as a loony bin. Zuko did the smartest action in grabbing the twig and hurling it away into the bushes. "We are not taking any more chances with these plants! We need to get help."

"But where are we going to go?" Iroh asked while scratching in dramatic poses, "We are enemies of the Earth Kingdom, and fugitives from the Fire Nation."

"If the Earth kingdom discovers us, they'll have us killed." Zuko pondered, "If the Fire Nation discovers us, we will be turned over to Azula." Iroh scratched.

The choice was an obvious: "Earth Kingdom it is." Zuko stated and the two started off.

The best thing about hiding among your enemies is the anonymity. No knows who they are, Zuko never thought in a million years his scar could pass him off as a refugee.

After all there are fates worse than death.

After Dante tied his braided hair back in a warrior tail that went down his back he decided that some music was needed for this trip. "So you guys heard of some songs?" he asked Chong.

"Yep, Mr. Snow-hair, thru the songs we hear, we cruise like a leaf on the wind." Chong answered.

"Well if I had my lute that I had a while back it could play a song. Oh well." Dante sigh.

"Bummer. But hey, we play and you can sing! A how about it?"

Dante shook his head.

"Please?" asked the other hippie girl.

"I'm not in the mood." replied Dante.

"Come on, you're scared?" teased Katara.

"N-O. NO!" Dante repeated with an intensity of a grumpy cat he saw in the Earth Nation.

The hippie girl then got an idea "If you do then I'll . . ." she whispered something in his ear that apparently changed his mind.

"Well all you had to do was a please, Song, but . . . okay." after they got the rhythm Dante began to sing:

_**Once I rose above the noise and confusion**_

_**Just to get a glimpse beyond this illusion**_

_**I was soaring ever higher, but I flew too high.**_

The style was different from what everyone was accustomed to but they adjusted. They wondered if the song was about him or not. It wasn't but Dante added to the soundtrack of his life.

_**Carry on my wayward son!**_

_**There will be peace when you are done**_

_**Lay you weary head to rest.**_

_**DON'T YOU CRY NO MORE! **_

Afterwards the hippies lead the Avatar and his friends to mountain pass with ruin columns on both sides, weathered remnant of a forgotten city.

"How far are we from the tunnel?" Sokka asked Chong.

"Actually it's not just ONE tunnel; the lover didn't want anyone to find out about their love so they build a whole labyrinth."

"LABYRINTH!" Sokka shouted out loud. Actually thinking this would be a piece of cake.

"I'm sure we'll figure it out." Chong gestured with a smile.

"All you need to do is trust in love, according to the curse." Lily added.

Sokka stopped dead in his tracks while everyone walked on past. Dante looked behind to see what Sokka was going to do. Sokka briefly insane as his body bent out of sharp and his one of his eyes bugging out before he returned to normal. To Dante, he always heard of people having a _conniption_, but he never truly seen until now. He was glad that everyone else didn't see it.

"CURSE?" whined Sokka like a two-bit brat.

. . .

"Hey-hey, were here!" exclaimed Chong upon reaching the entrance to the labyrinth which is guarded by the rows of animal-headed war deities of old.

"I've hunted and killed these bastards before; they were tough to kill, fiery war-like and shouting: BLOOD FOR THE BLOOD GOD - SKULLS FOR THE SKULL THRONE!"

"Scary." commented Chong.

"What exactly is this curse?" inquired Sokka wanting to know what they are dealing with.

"The curse says: "that only those that trust in Love can make through the caves". Otherwise you be trapped in the forever."

". . . And die." Lily added.

"Oh yeah and die. Hey just remember the rest of that song . . ." Chong walked forward to the entrance and finished to song with a haunting echo: "AND DIE."

Sokka decided to put his foot down. "That's it! There is no way we're going thru some cursed hole."

"What are you chicken?" taunted Dante.

"Hey someone's making a big camp fire." The Moku pointed out.

"Shit!" cursed Dante.

"That's no campfire, Moku." corrected Katara.

"It's Fire Nation. They are tracking." Sokka added.

Dante smacked Sokka hard upside his head. "No shit, Sherlock! It we did go airborne, like you decided, they wouldn't have caught our scent!"

Sokka rubbed the back of his head grumble at the cold hard facts.

"So all you need to do is trust in love to get thru these caves?" Aang asked Chong.

"That is correct, Master Arrowhead."

Aang looked over at Katara and pondered on that notion. Dante noticed and looked at Katara as well. It was obvious that this young woman of Southern Water Tribe has impacted their lives in a huge way. For Aang she got him out of an iceberg and brought him into a changed world but into the circle of people who care about him.

For Dante it would start on the same time when he reunited with his best friend at the South Pole; at that time Dante was hired to assist with the Avatar's capture, in return he would rewarded greatly. When Aang agreed to go with Prince Zuko Dante along with the soldiers escorted Aang aboard. But when the two looked back at the sight of Katara on the verge of tears, Dante wondered if he was truly doing the right thing.

Fast forward to the Northern Water tribe; the two clashed once more. Katara with Waterbending and Dante with Firebending and Waterbending, and through it all she stood her ground. Dante decided he was not going to fight her or Aang anymore. How can he fight someone who is his best friend from long ago and how can he kill some that reminded him of another girl who saved his life?

He could not do these things because love prevented it. Not that he loved Katara, he respected her. She had the heart of a true warrior and stood in defiance against any who harm the innocent, be it Nephilim or man. This is what Dante always admired in a woman: The will to fight even when you're outnumbered and the world falls down around you.

"We can make it." decided Aang.

"Everyone into the hole!" directed Sokka.

Appa on the other hand growled his displeasure of going underground but he knew he must if he didn't want to get burned.

"Hold on!" the eye patched command order the Fire Nation panzers in their advancement as soon as they arrived at the mouth of the cave. "It's too dangerous. Haven't you heard the song? Just close them in; the mountain will take care of the rest."

The siege tanks lined up and fire harpoons above the cave entrance, with one good pull in reverse the entrance collapsed upon it trapping the gang behind a wall of huge boulders deep piecing darkness.

Once the dust settled Chong lit a torch to provide light to their dilemma. Appa groaned pawing at the cave wall. "It's okay Appa, well be fine . . . I hope." Katara and petted him in reassurance. But even she wasn't sure.

"We will be find. All we need is a plan. Chong how long do those torches last." asked Sokka.

"Ah, about two hours, each." Chong replied.

"Then we five torches so that ten hours." Lily lit the spiral torches by striking in the floor.

"It doesn't work like that IF THEY ARE ALL LIT AT THE SAME TIME!" Sokka snatched the other four from her hands and stomped them out.

"Oh . . . right." Lily agreed.

"Math skills are once again fallen short due to the lack of common sense." Dante whispered to Appa.

Sokka climbed onto Appa to get a roll of parchment and a writing stick "I'm going to make a map to keep track of exactly where we've been. Then we should solve it like a maze and get through."

Sokka then began to draw the map as they ventured down the tunnel. Then everyone heard Dante humming and singing aloud:

_**Far over the misty mountains cold**_

_**To dungeons deep, and caverns old**_

_**We must away ere break of day**_

_**To seek the pale enchanted gold.**_

_**The dwarves of yore made mighty spells,**_

_**While hammers fell like ringing bells**_

_**In places deep, where dark things sleep,**_

_**In hollow halls beneath the fells.**_

_**For ancient king and elvish lord,**_

_**There many a gleaming golden hoard**_

_**They shaped and wrought, and light they caught**_

_**To hide in gems on hilt of sword.**_

_**On silver necklaces they strung**_

_**The flowering stars, on crowns they hung**_

_**The dragon-fire, in twisted wire**_

_**They meshed the light of moon and sun.**_

The song sounded mysterious and a bit sad. But beautiful at the same time.

"What song is that?" asked Aang.

"Hmm? Oh just a song about a place I visited with a bunch short guys and a wizard that was filled with gold and jewels, that all." Dante replied uncaringly

"Hmm? Maybe you can show me the place something."

"NO!" Dante suddenly yelled at the Sokka, causing a torch's flame roared reacting to Dante's rage jumping into his hand ready to throw it at Sokka. "THAT GOLD IS NOT FOR YOU! Understand."

"Okay, okay I will leave that gold alone." Sokka held up his hands and smiled sheepishly."

Dante then exhaled and returned the flame to the torch. "Good, last thing I need is another Smaug on the loose again."

Chong and his posse smiled. "Hey, you're a Firebender! That's great. If the torches go out we got ourselves a human torch. But don't worry man you secret is safe with us."

Dante looked over his shoulder at the hippies with a miserable expression that only happens when you come in contact with people or Sokka, for that matter. "Thank you." Dante sighed.

The group continued down the dark path through the mountains.

"Can you do a circus trick for us with firebending?" Lily asked.

"What are ya' blackmailing me?" Dante grumped.

In a nearby village on the edge of the woods Zuko and Iroh found a apothecary that took them in right away. Iroh sat on the medical table while Zuko leaned against the wall adjacent trying to not a attract attention to anyone.

"You two must not be from around here. We know better that to touch the White Jade. Much less make it into tea and drink it." explained kind young woman as she applied a salve to counter at the poison of the White Jade.

"Heh, oops!"chuckled Iroh as he learned a important lesson.

"So where are you traveling from?" asked the nurse.

"Yes we are travelers!" Zuko stood up as he was totally unprepared for people asking of twenty questions, even though he readied himself early on for it.

The nurse applied more salve on Iroh's arm. When he started scratching his head in a spot that itched she slapped it away for his own good. "Do you have names?" she asked.

"Names? Of course we have names. I'm . . . Li. And this is my uncle . . . uh, Mushi." Zuko introduced his and Iroh's fake name.

Iroh leaned over and glared at him through swollen cheeks. It they were going to have fake names the least his nephew could do is giving a name that was cool or that didn't suck.

"Yes, my nephew was named after his father, so we just call him: JUNIOR."Iroh poked back at Zuko's ego. Zuko on the other hand made the signal on his throat to cut it out.

"Mushi and Junior, huh, my name is Song. You two look like you can use a good meal." She stopped and slapped Iroh's arm to stop him from scratching. "Why don't you stay for dinner?" Song offered.

Zuko declined her offer. "Sorry but we need to be moving on."

Song understood and pressed anyone with a small hint."That's too bad, My mom always make too much roast duck."

"Where do you live exactly?" Iroh asked when he heard the words 'too much roast duck'.

Back under the mountains that don't lead to Erebor, Dante had done a circus trick by juggling seven fireballs. Chong's wife Lily was impressed and flashed his trade mark wink at her and she returned by blowing a kiss. Things were going smoothly and the two just needs to be in a quiet corner of the cave to scratch that "unscratchable itch". But that seem to be a problem of its own, Sokka has an unscratchable itch– the map. He turned it longways and sideways but some was not adding up.

"Sokka this is the tenth dead-end you lead us to." stated Katara.

"Well that proves a lot about his leadership skills and life, doesn't it?" Dante commented sarcastically.

"This doesn't make any since we already came thru this way." Sokka said puzzled as ever as he walked in the other direction.

"We don't need a map." Chong reminded Sokka of getting thru the mountain. "We just need love. The little guy knows it."

"Yeaah, but I wouldn't mind a map also." Aang replied honestly.

"There's something strange here." Sokka examined the map and tunnels, the way they came and the one that was ahead one last time before closing the map and turning to face the rest. "There only one explanation: The tunnels are changing."

Suddenly a deep tremor throughout the tunnel. Momo to cover inside Aang's shirt. This was not going to be fun. But just in case it did get fun Dante summoned Rebellion on in back.

That night at the well lit home of Song and her parents, dinner was being served to their guests. The dining room had a large opening so the room was cool and the beautiful of the night was before them.

"My daughter tells me your refugees. We were once refugees ourselves." Song's mother sat roast duck on the table.

Song herself sat across from Zuko. "When I was a little girl the fire nation, raid our farming village, all the men were taken away. That was the last time I saw my father."

Zuko's eyes widened as sadness of Song's childhood mirrored his own. "I haven't seen my father in many years." Said Zuko.

"Oh . . . Is he fighting in the war?" Song asked causing Iroh sucked up his noodles fast and his eyes widened darting to his right to his nephew. It was a touchy question to be sure.

But Zuko sat his bowling down burying in his feelings deep down inside. "Yeah." he replied. The memory of his father was as deep as the burn he gave that scarred the left side of his face. He'll never forget, and he'll never forgive.

Back in the cave for horny people, Chong was freaking out. "The tunnels . . . their changing? I'd – it must be the curse! I knew we shouldn't have come down here."

"Right. If only we listen to YOU." Sokka replied with sarcasm and irony.

Katara then heard something faint. "Everyone be quiet. Listen." she stated.

They there the faint echoing sounds of something screeching in the dark.

Momo who was preached on top Sokka's left shoulder flew off away from the sounds that were now coming down the tunnel in front to Sokka. Then just like that the screeching stopped and unnatural silence filled the air.

"I got a bad feeling about this." Dante stated as ready he gripped the scabbard of Temüjin.

Sokka held the torch in front of him to see what is lurking in the dark.

Then a giant snarling bat flew out, hungry for food. "It's a flying thing with teeth!"

The bat then swooped to the ground and folded its wings back into its front legs and now was stalking them on all fours.

"No it's a Wolfbat!" Moku corrected his friend.

The beast was agile and fast running leaping, bouncing of the walls before spreading its wing and flying. Its tactics were simple; confuse the prey in its movements and as it searched for the weakest amongst them.

And apparently it was Sokka who wave his torch around only to have the Wolfbat knock it out of his hands and onto one of Appa's front paws.

Scared by the pain Appa groaned and stamped around. The Wolfbat got spooked and vanished in the shadows. Appa had enough of being underground and wanted out and charged forward. He hit one wall after another causing the roof of the tunnel to crack and began to collapse. Aang wasted no in Airbending a guest toward Sokka and the Hippies pushing them out of the way of the falling rocks. He then turn to Katara and Dante's direction and tackled the two to the ground just before the ceiling fell on them.

Finally the dust cleared for the moment, and Aang got up helping the two their feet. Appa groan at the mistake at what he done and pawed at the giant rocks that separated the four of them from their friends.

On the other side Sokka ran the pile of rocks and began to franticly dig the dirt away to get to the others before he stopped and the futility of the effort.

Chong came up to Sokka to cheer him up."Yeah, it's no use were separated, but at least you have us."

"NOOOO!" Sokka's wailed and began digging with his bare hands until the rocks on top of the pile burying him underneath with his legs sticking up in the air.

By the light of the over head lamp outside on the porch of Song's Zuko sat alone listening to the crickets chirp and enjoying the coolness of the evening. Alone.

The door opened and out stepped Song wondered where Zuko was. "Can I join you?" she asked.

Zuko remain silent as he didn't want to talk. Song walked over taking a seat beside him.

"I know want you been through, we all been through it. The Fire Nation as hurt you." Song looked over him and as the scar the result of fighting a dangerous firebender. The scar is permanent as is the memory. Song wanted to see if there was anything she could do. The self isolation that Li was in not good, she knew that he needed to know that there is someone else that suffered. She slowly reached up touch his scar . . .

Zuko instinctively grabbed her arm. He is most comfortable when everyone is at arm's length him, and not closer. Song understood that now. "It's okay, they hurt me too." Said Song as she pulled up her right pants leg to reveal a pattern of light burns.

To see another suffering the same fate was comforting that he was alone in the world. But to see one like Song who is affectionate, strong and happy causing Zuko's heart to sank. He didn't care for the war as well as the people who suffered and died on both sides. His agenda in capturing the Avatar was more to him than the war. But he is not chasing the Avatar at the moment thus his mind was more open to the concerns of the world and the people.

Back in the cave of ironic twist and turns, the Chong and his bands played a tune to lift their spirits with Grumpy Sokka in the lead.

"Oh, don't let the cave-in get you down. Don't let the falling rocks turn your smile into a frown. When the tunnels are as dark and that's when you need a clown, hey! Don't let the cave-in get you down . . . Sookkkkaa."

On the other side of the cave in. Katara lead Aang Dante and Appa thru tunnel with the torch until they came to a door. "Guys, look!" she shouted.

"We found the exit." Aang shouted.

"About time." Dante sighed.

The three tried to push the round stone door open but to no avail. Even with Dante's super strength it wasn't budging. Then Appa grumbled and snorted like a bull before charging. Katara and Aang jumped to the side while Dante jumped straight up in the air. The door then side back and rolled to the side to reveal the darkness of a vast chamber; carved with ornate columns, tiled stone floor and more statues of war spirits of the past.

"This isn't the exit." Katara said disappointed.

"No . . . It's a tomb." acknowledged Aang.

The floor of the tomb had to be reached by a ladder made into the wall. Once they climbed down they made the way down the steps to the twin stone sarcophaguses.

"It must be the two lovers from the legend. That's who's buried here." said Aang.

Katara held the burning torch to the glyph on the side of the tomb dais. "These pictures tell their story."

The three huddled close as Katara read the ancient story:

_They meet on top of the mountain that divided their two villages._

_The villages were enemies so they could not be together._

_But their love was strong and they found a way._

_The two loves learned Earthbending from the badgermoles: They became the first Earthbenders._

_They build elaborate tunnels so they can meet secretly._

_Anyone who tried to follow them would be lost forever in the labyrinth._

_But one day the man didn't come. He did in the war between their two villages._

_Devastated, the woman unleashed a tremble display of her Earthbending power._

_She could have destroyed them all, but instead declared the war over._

_Both villages helped to rebuild a new city where they would live together in peace._

_The woman name was named "Oma" and the man's name was "Shu" – the great city was named Omashu as a monument to their love._

. . .

Dante nodded upon hearing the tale. It was beautiful and sad. He then saw Aang and Katara looking at a giant stone mural of Oma and Shu on their knees facing each other, kissing. Katara read the words that were between them: "Love is brightest in the dark."

Meanwhile Sokka continued to read the map - Or at least tried to, in any case.

"Oh great, your plans have lead us to another dead end." complained Moku.

"At least I'm thinking of ideas and trying to get us out of here – MOKU." Sokka defended himself, casting a glare to the chubby hippie behind him.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, wait a minute – we're thinking of ideas, because I've had an idea for like an hour now." Chong said.

"YES! We're all thinking of IDEAS!" Sokka reminded Chong of what is obvious right now.

"We'll, listen to this – if love is the key out of here, then all we need to do is play a love song." Chong said.

Momo chatter to that idea while Sokka smack his forehead in frustration, again.

Back in the burial chamber of the two lovers, good ideas where in short supply.

"How are we going to find our way out of these tunnels?" Aang asked.

"Sing a stupid song?" Dante joked.

"I have a crazy idea. . ." stated Katara that got both Aang and Dante's attention.

"What?" Aang inquired.

" . . . Nevermind, it's too crazy." Katara decided to abandon the idea.

"If it was too crazy why did you mention it?" Dante inquired with irony.

Aang agreed and continued. "Katara what is it?"

"I was thinking," she began, "The curse say we'll be trapped in here forever unless we trust in love."

"Right?" Aang confirmed.

Katara continued to beat around the bush to make her point. "And here it says: "Love is brightest in the dark" and has a picture of them kissing."

"Where are you going with this?" Aang not getting what she meant, while Dante got what she meant.

The idea was starting to make Katara blush. "Well . . . what if we kissed."

"Us KISSING?" said Aang shocked.

"See it was a crazy idea." Katara told them so.

"Us . . . kissing."Aang said to himself with a dreamy look on his face.

Dante did the math in his head "Aang is 112 years old; I can see why you wouldn't what to kiss you – you're technically OLD." He stated with his sledgehammer wit.

"Yes! Us kissing, what was I thinking? Can you imagine that?" Katara laughed at the idea.

". . . Yeah, I defiantly wouldn't wanna kiss you." Aang chuckled before he realized his HUGE faux pas. Then he looked to the side and discovered that Dante had vanished, Aang knew why.

"Oh, I didn't realize it was such a horrible option. Sorry I suggested it!" snapped Katara, insulted for suggest an idea that may or may not work.

Aang waved his hands and shook his head, "No no, I mean, if there was a choice between kissing you and dying -"

"AH!" Katara scoffed, that was a horrible to hear that kind of a scenario.

"WHAT?! I'm saying I would rather kiss you than DIE! That's a compliment." Aang said trying to calm her down

Sure it's a good compliment if you were threatened at gun point, Dante thought to himself.

"Well I'm not sure WHICH I would rather do!" Katara said angrily, thrust the torch in his hands and storming off leave Aang alone by his lonesome.

"What is wrong with me?" Aang asked himself.

"Nothing. Your just feeling feelings for the first time, little bro." Dante said as he came out of the wall behind Aang.

"Where did you go, you could've helped me." Aang sighed.

"If I did, then she would be pissed at both of us." Dante patted his hand on Aang's shoulder.

"I didn't know what to say that could make it sound any better." said Aang.

"Sometimes it's better to not say anything at all. You were raised by monks; they knew silence was better than word that could dig your own grave. She's a girl; she most likely kissed a lot of guys in her village. She probably got a lot of suitors, which she turned down. YOU on the other hand have never kissed a girl or even cared about at them in that kind of respect. But when it comes to girls I'm an expert, not a master but an expert. Come on, I will teach you another lesson."

"Okay." Aang sighed again.

"Lesson One: Sensibility. The key to being a man is being able to know when you're wrong. So apologize to her, sincerely. Lesson two . . ."

Back with the hippies and the dummy thing were going swell as the depression of being separated the others was lifted with the music from Chong's lute and Lily's flute and the backup dancers. Though it was a nice song, Sokka tolerated it because if he tried to go away from the group he may get eaten by a Wolfbat.

In the coolness of night on the doorstep of Song's house, she and her mother said farewell to the strangers they took in for dinner.

"Thank you for the duck. It was excellent." Iron said to his hosts.

"You're welcome." Songs mother replied back with a kind smile to the compliment, handing them the leftovers in small packages. "It brings me joy to see someone eat my cooking with such . . . gusto."

"Much practice." Iroh said patting his stomach.

Zuko turned and was about to leave until Iroh stopped him, "Junior! Where are you matters? You need to thank these nice people."

Zuko turned about and bowed, "Thank you." and continued on.

"I know you don't think there's any hope left in the world. But there is hope, the Avatar has returned." Song reminded him of the truth.

"I know." Zuko replied monotonously. Of all truths he knows that one.

As Iroh and Zuko left through the gate and past the stables, Zuko's heard the noise of a Horsebird. It was tired up grazing on some grass. Theirs for the taking.

"What are you doing?" Iroh silently shouted at his nephew, "These people just showed you great kindness . . ."

"They're about to show us a little more kindness. Well?" Zuko said offering out his hand.

Iroh knew that this was the wrong thing to do. But when you're being hunted you have little to no choice. He accepted his hand and off they went into the night.

Song watched them through the cracked sliding door. She was saddened at what they did but she understood it even if they did say it. They were refuges but they were running. Whether it was the Fire Nation or something worst, the life of being on the run is a chancy one, like her and her mother they too had to take any chance to survive.

The darkness of the cave was grow more around the torch that Aang held as it was slowly starting to go out.

"Where are going to run out of like any second now, are we?" Asked as he stopped and looked at the dying flame.

"I think so." Katara agreed.

"I could Firebend some light. But it would be pointless if there is no path that can lead us out." Dante sighed, he never though he could miss daylight this much.

"Then what are we going to do?" asked Aang.

"What can we do?" Katara asked back.

Katara turned as that crazy idea popped up in her head. She reached out and touched Aang's hand. Aang smile as their eyes met. Dante decided to step back and lean against the wall of the cave and watch if crazy actually saves the day. The two came lean in closer and closer as the fire went out and plunging everything in the deep darkness. Then a on the ceiling of the tunnel a trail of aqua lights the like the cluster of stars in the night sky.

Back with the hippies the sound of a Wolfbat snarling echoed through the tunnels caught everyone's attention. It was a whole pack of Wolfbats flying toward Sokka who screamed like a punk as his tried to fight them off. They weren't attacking, they were fleeing.

"Hey, you saved us Sokka." Chong said gratefully.

"No, they were trying to get away from something." Sokka said, catching his breath.

"From what?" Chong asked.

Suddenly the tunnel shook as two giant creatures busting out into the tunnels, two giant Badgermoles. One put its clawed paws together and closed the tunnel on its side horizontally while the other closed the other side by stomping its front paws against the floor close it vertically. The hunt was over it was time to feast.

The one behind Sokka earthbended the ground, to trap the hippies while the other focus on Sokka knocking him off his feet. He landed and scrambled to get away until his hand accidently strummed the string of Chong's lute.

Sokka wait to be killed until he forced one eye open to see the Badgermoles tilting it's head curiously to the sound the instrument made. Noticing the effect Sokka grabbed the lute and began to charm to creatures

"Hey, those things are music lovers!" Chong exclaimed.

"Badgermoles coming toward me. Come one guys, help me OUT!" Sokka sang asking for backup. He never thought he would even do that either.

Chong took out a spare lute and everyone sang the song of the Badgermoles.

Meanwhile Aang Katara and Dante examine the spectacle above them.

"To me they are some kind of crystals. They must only light up in the dark." Aang deduced.

"That's how the two lovers found each other. They just put out their lights and followed the crystals. And that must be the way out." Katara pointed to a large opening with daylight at the other end.

"So, um." Aang began but she didn't hear him..

"Let's go." Katara said and ran off.

Dante shook his head, "So close. Well there's always next time."

Aang smiled and the two ran off after Katara with Appa overanxious to get outside.

The Appa sprinted out of the dark gloomy cave and into the glorious light. Appa fell backward with his tongue hanging out in the rapture of not being underground anymore.

"What about Sokka?" Dante just remembered.

Then two giant badgermoles busted through the rock with some familiar face on their backs.

"Sokka!" Katara shouted glad to see her brother again.

"Hey, it's Chic and Chong, up in smoke!" Dante said.

Sokka slide down the badgermoles arm and ran to his sister. "How did you get out?" he asked.

"Just like the legend says: We let love lead the way." Aang said with a shrug.

"Really, we let huge ferocious beasts lead our way." Sokka waved as the behemoth guardians of the labyrinth went back in their holes, closing the doors behind them.

"Sweet!" Dante greatly approved.

Momo flew to Appa and asked him if he was okay. Appa was and told him what he saw. Sokka and Katara parted from the hug and she noticed something off and asked: "Why is your forehead all red?"

"Nobody react to what I'm about to tell you: I think that kid might be the AVATAR." Sokka had this red circle on his forehead because of Chong.

Chong lean in close to examine the red mark on Sokka's head.

"So you guy's gonna come to Omashu with us?" Aang asked the rest of Chong's trope.

"Nope." Moku answered simply.

"Okay. Thanks for everything Moku." Aang waved to them.

Chong said farewell to the rest. "Dante, take this small spar lute and mine it lead you to a road that you be able to find your lost lute again."

Dante gave it a small strum and smile as he was now balance out a bit. Though he would prefer to buy on he had to admit the receiving one from a cool dude was just . . . cool.

"Peace out, man" Dante held up the two finger victory gesture, with Chong returning it in kind.

Chong put a necklace of flowers over Sokka and impart to him an important message. "Sokka, I hope you learn a little something about not letting the PLANS get in the way of the JOURNEY." Chong then gave Sokka a bear hug making Sokka uncomfortable beyond reason.

"Just play your songs." Sokka forced out.

"Hey, good plan!" Chong exclaimed and began to play. It was the best plan Sokka all day.

_**Even if you're lost**_

_**You can't lose the love**_

_**Because it's in your heart.**_

While walking up a mountain that leads to the view of the great city, Sokka pondered all they had went through. "The journey was long and annoying. But know you get to see what it was really about: The destination." They finally reached the summit, "I present to you – The Earth kingdom city of O . . . Oh no!"

"Oh my God!" Dante exclaimed.

They saw the city but it was not like the city from before. Now it is covered top to bottom with mechanized smoke stacks that puffed out black smoke. But the most notable feature was the red banners of the Fire Nation hanging on the wall above the gate and flapping in the breeze on flag poles.

**Oh no, what our heroes going to do?**

**Well, there no fun I telling you now, is there.**

**Anywhere you can probably guess by now is that I'm writing this due to the hearsay of a live action Last Airbender Netflix's show that is helped by the same guys that did the cartoon.**

**Anyway, see you freaks later then.**

**;3**


	3. Chapter 3

**BOOK TWO: EARTH**

**CHAPTER THREE: RETURN TO OMASHU**

The great city of Omashu has fallen to the Fire Nation. Upon establishing the new law & order the Fire army began construction of factories in varies places; Factories to create weapons, armor, and support vehicles. And once the bridges have been built to connect the city to the other side of the valley they will begin transporting the armored division to the frontlines in the Earth Kingdom. Basically they were rebuilding from the damage they caused in the siege and assimilated to make it feel like home.

The heroes looked out in disbelief as the impossible covered and scarred the city of the two lovers.

"I can't believe it." Aang turned to everyone else, "I know the war spread far, but Omashu always seemed . . . untouchable."

"Up until now it was. But now Ba-Sing-Se is the only great Earth Kingdom stronghold left." Sokka said disappointed at what has become of Omashu but also he understood they had to keep moving if Aang was going to be safe to learn Earthbending.

"Untouchable this place and so isolated they can't reach out for immediate help." Dante stated ironic.

"This is horrible. But we have to move on." Katara recommend to Aang on what was best right now.

"No. Going in to find Bumi." Aang said, not wanting to let this go.

"Aang, stop!" Sokka warned, "We don't even know if Bumi's still . . ."

"What? Is he still WHAT?"Aang angrily replied at Sokka since he was too hesitated to finish what he was saying.

"A-around." Sokka finished unsurely.

"I know you had your heart set on Bumi but there are other people who can teach you Earthbending." Katara reminded him of the alternatives.

"This isn't about finding a teacher – this is about finding my friend." Aang stated with determination.

Far below in the great sloping chasm that acted as one of the Omashu's key defenses, Aang flew Appa down to a drainage pipe that would lead up into the city. Appa docked beside the path lining the edge of the ravine where the pipe was and Aang used his staff to pry the hatch open.

"A secret passage? Why didn't we us this last time?" Sokka bewildered in see this here.

Aang finally open it allowing a torrent of deep green sewage to gush out on Sokka. "Does THAT answer your question?" Aang asked ironically.

Aang was the first inside. Dante was next, though he had no problem with the stench or the things in it as he had went through worst places than this. Sokka and Katara were last; Sokka nearly threw up as some would the sewage smell hit their noses. The sewage got thicker and deeper as the continued upward. Aang created an airball that would move the gunk out of the way. Katara and Dante usesd waterbending to maneuver the sewage carefully around them. Sokka, on the other hand, is continually soaked in the foul substance.

Aang apply a small amount of Airbending to seep around the sides of the Manhole cover and forced it loose. Aang peeked up to see if the coast was clear. Once it was Aang Dante and Katara climbed out silently.

"That wasn't as bad as I thought." Katara said.

Suddenly a green blobby creature emerged groaning like the undead. It was so freaky that Dante's white Mohawk stood on end. Katara saw a barrel full of water and bended it to hose of the creature to reveal it was her brother. Aang then air-dried Sokka with a powerful gust. Sokka was relieved to be out of the hell that was the drainage pipe. But when he noticed three small purple pentapi have attached themselves to his skin.

"AAAAGGGGHHHHH! UGH! UGH! THEY WON'T LET GO! HELP!" He screamed.

Aang tackled him to the wall of a build to stop him from freaking out so loud. "Stop making so much noise, it's just a Purple Pentapus." Aang reassured him by stroke the top of the Pentapus causing it to squeak in satisfaction and pop off. Sokka rubbed his cheek and rubbed the next one himself.

"Hey!" said a voice forcing the four to look and see three soldiers on portal coming toward them.

Aang ducked behind his friends to wrap his bald head in a cloth to hide his arrow tattoo Dante, Sokka and Katara who smiled to the approaching guards. "What are you kids doing out past curfew?" one of the soldiers asked in a demanding tone.

"Sorry, we were just on our way home." Katara reassured them.

The four turned around and walked in the opposite direction of the street. Then one of the soldiers noticed some strange red dots on the back of the Sokka's neck. "Wait! What's the matter with him?" he asked.

The four stopped and Katara and looked behind Sokka's neck to see what the guard meant. But Katara was always clever to get out of trouble. "He's has Pentapox, sir."

The soldier in front stepped closer to examine it. "Uh, it's highly contagious."

Sokka then got an idea to drive the point home more. "Ugh! It's so awful, I'm DYING!" he groaned, walking closer with his arms hanging in the air like a zombie.

"And deadly." Katara added as Sokka swayed back and forth with drool coming out.

"With puss coming out of the sores on his genitals and scrotum."

"It hurts when I PEEEE!" Sokka added wailing insanely.

"Hey! I think I heard of Pentapox. Didn't your cousin Cheng die of it?" the soldier asked one of his peers. Sokka came closer and cough violently enough to scare the soldiers away. "We better wash our hands . . . and burn our clothes!"

The guards disappeared and all was once quiet. "Thank you, sewer-friend." Aang rubbed the top of the Pink Pentapus causing it to squeeze in pleasure.

Elsewhere on the coast of a port the Fire Nation made to have excess to the sea, the Royal Fire ship dock quietly as overcast shrouded everything in shadow. Azula sat on her veiled mobile throne between her twin elder advisors as advised their mistress on the next and best course of action.

"When tracking your brother and uncle, traveling with the royal procession may no long be an option. It may no long be wise if you hope to keep the element of surprise."The advisors stated in unison. They words were iron clad as always.

"Your right. The royal procession is dead weight. If I want to catch my prey I must be agile, nimble. I need a small elite team. It's time to visit some old friends."

Back in the city of Omashu, our heroes raced up the steps to one of the base of one of the Fire nation construction sites. Two fire soldiers walked past and down the steps out of sight.

"Let's find Bumi and get out of here." Katara reminded everyone.

"Where would they be keeping him?" Sokka asked Aang.

Aang looked around them and out on the hilly city. "Somewhere he can't Earthbend, somewhere where made of metal."

"Well, that is really not narrowing down our choices because the whole damn place was slowly turning into a metal urban jungle. Clever, no Earthbender could ever bend metal." Dante pointed out from under his hood.

Not far away just down a level the newest ruler, appointed by Fire Ozai himself, decided to take a night stroll with his family. "There really is no fathoming the depths of my hatred for this place." the eldest daughter of the governor said in a monotone manner.

"Mai, your father was a pointed governor, we are like royalty here. Be happy and enjoy it." Michi was was Mai's mother, who holding her baby brother, tried to cheer her up.

High overhead on the delivery slides some Earth soldiers watched the glowing torches of the governor and his family arrival to the area where they will make their strike.

"The targets are approaching." Whispered the soldier to his commanding officer.

"Take them out." Yung ordered.

Below Mai continued to voice her displeasure of her current predicament. "I thought my life was boring in the Fire Nation. But this place is unbearably bleak. Nothing ever happens."

Like a shot heard around the world that would start a revolution that bleakness changed when the Earth soldier struck the boulder that would go down the slide and in the targets below. However by pure coincidence Aang and company were walking in the opposite direction when they noticed the boulder going down the slide. Aang saw where it was going, noticing the woman is holding a baby in her arms. Thinking fast he used his air staff to create a slash of air that destroyed the boulder into cloud of dust.

The procession stopped and looked upward. Mai narrowed her eyes as she saw a person in the cloud of dust with a staff.

"The resistance!" Mai mother shouted in alarm.

Mai was just itching to get into a fight just to get rid of her accursed boredom. She fired spring action arrows from her wrists toward Aang. He jumped up on top a stack of planks and he bolted in the opposite direction with his friends following behind him. Katara opened her water satchel and used the water to whip the pursing foot soldiers back down the ladder. Mai climbed up the ladder and flew like a bird of prey toward flesh meat. She fire darts at Katara who blocked it by creating an ice shield in front of her.

After make reaching halfway around the tower walkway Aang turned around, airbending a gust that destroy the scaffolding to the right of him. The wreckage collapsed between them and their pursuer. But she flung a throwing blade toward him. The turned and twirled his staff to block it but instead the blade hit the side of his staff.

Aang was surprised that it stuck and saw the girl fire another volley toward them. Then suddenly the ground under them dropped down with them and closed behind them. Mai, who saw them getting away in a blink of an eye, gave an exhausted sigh as her boredom returned.

Below ground team Avatar rubbed their heads as the floor turned upside down and dumped them in a tunnel. They all looked up and discovered they were surrounding by Earth soldiers of the resistance.

Elsewhere someone's world was about to be turned upside when circus received a royal visit. Azula found out that the Fire Circus is indeed traveling in the Earth kingdom. Though some they were Firebenders in the act they preformed, the Earth Kingdoms tolerated their presence so as long they stayed outside their city walls and didn't give any reason to be spies for the Fire Nation with the war on their lands. People came far and wide to see the performers do fantastic feats. One of them was a star here and the first member of the Elite team.

"Ty Lee, Could that possibility be you?" Inquired Azula to the acrobat that was standing on the tips of her pointer fingers.

"Azula!" greeted Ty Lee with big beautiful grey eyes, a sunny disposition and cloudlike grace. She got back on her feet, twirled and bowed herself parallel to the earth. Ty Lee then ran and embraced her long time friend. "It is SO good to see you." she exalted her long time gal pal.

"Do let me interrupt your . . . what it is you are doing." Azula said and Ty Lee flipped backwards lying on her chest while stretching her legs in the air.

"Tell me, what the daughter of a nobleman doing here? Certainly our parents didn't send us to the royal Fire academy for girls to end in . . . places like this." Azula asked while looked around at the circus sights like the some men trying to get a Platypus-bear to move from its spot where it was sit on its egg. "Have a proposition for you. I'm hunting a traitor. You remember my old fuddy duddy uncle, don't you?" Azula asked while casually examining her claw-like nails.

Ty Lee rested the bottom of her chin on her hands while the bottom of her feet on top of her head "Oh yeah, he was so funny." She said for she remembered that he taught her to love life.

"I would be honored if you would join me on my mission." Azula finally offering the invitation.

"OH . . . I . . . Ah . . . love to." Ty Lee flipped back onto her feet, "But the truth is, I really happy here. I mean - My aura has never been pinker!"

"I'll take you word for it."Azula finally dropped the issue, though she didn't know that Ty Lee's aura was PINK in the first place. "Well, I won't want you to give up the life you love just to please me."

"Thank you, Azula." Ty lee bow before returning to aerobics.

Azula turned around and walked away until she got a brilliant idea. "Of course, before I leave, I'm going to catch your show."

Ty Lee felt a lethal chill go up her spin. "Oh . . . yeah, sure . . . of course." She acknowledged.

The pink aura was certainly being to look very grey at this point.

Deep underground in the passages of glowing emerald torches the gang was lead into the hideout of the resistance of Omashu, or rather what is left of them.

"So … is King Bumi with you guys? Is he leading the resistance." asked Aang.

"Of course not!" The commander said in a pissed off tone, "The day of the invasion we ready ourselves for battle. We were prepared to defend our city; to fight for our lives and for our freedom. But before we even had a chance, King Bumi . . . surrendered."

This was troubling news to everyone even Aang, the nutcase of a King was tough as he was crazy. But to surrender before the battle began with no legit reason is not very honorable. Thinking back to when he was in the Earth Kingdom hundreds of years ago assisting the Earth Army against a sedition who was in the wastes a little to the west. Upon arriving there they discovered it was a trap. After a bloody skirmish they were forced into a ravine with no hope of escape. But the commanding officer was not going to give up just because they were surrounded. He was going to find a way to get his men out alive no matter the cost. His spirit inspired the men and the Demonhunter himself and the result was a memorable one for the history books, even Dante would have to remember that plan.

But this situation was not a ravine with any hope in sight; this was city that hadn't even started to fight all because their surrendered. "The day of the invasion I asked King Bumi what he wanted to do. He looked me in the eye and said . . ."

_I'm going to do NOTHING. HA! HA! HA! HEH! HEH!_

"I can imagine the royal windbag's expression and snorting laugher didn't inspire confidence." Dante said with irony.

"It doesn't matter now; fighting the Fire Nation is the only path to freedom – and freedom is worth dying for."

"Actually there is another path to freedom: you could leave Omashu." Aang suggested a wise plan. "You're directing all your energy to fight the fire nation. But you're outnumbered, you can't win. Now is the time to retreat so you can live to fight another day. "

"You don't understand, they have taken our home and we have to fight them at any coast!" the commander stated heatedly. Thought Aang's words seemed to have reached.

"I don't know yet, living to fight another day is starting to sound pretty good to me." said the one of the soldiers next to the commander; "Yeah, I'm with the kid." the other could help but agree with his comrade.

The commander looked at the crowd who was murmuring in agreement also. He almost forgot that there are innocent civilians hiding down here with the resistance. The possible of the Fire Nation actually finding the resistance base right under their noses is very high.

"Fine," the Commander said finally listening to reason, "but there are thousands of citizens that need to leave, how we are going to get them all out?" he asked.

"Suckers!" Sokka said out loud that had a slight echo from where he stood. Everyone looked at him with a questioning stare as it was unexpected. "You're all about to come down with a nasty case of Pentapox."

Outside the collected the Pentapus' in buckets of water and 'infected' everyone by have the little suckers latch on, and with a gently rub on the head they squeak and let go with the suckers popping off leaving little tiny red spots behind. Sokka examine the crowd and found they LOOKED like they got a plague.

"The marks make you look sick but you got to act sick too. You gotta sell it!" couched Sokka before a old man with a cane limped in front of him moaning and groaning perfectly. "Now that's what I'm talking about."

"Years of practice." The old man tapped his can on his wooden right leg.

"Alright everyone into sick-formation." Sokka instructed.

Katara turned around and saw Aang walking off. "Aang? What are you doing? Aren't you coming with us?" She asked.

"No. I'm not leaving until I find Bumi." Aang replied.

Momo jumped up on his owner and pawed at his mouth. "Sorry Momo I'll feed you later." He said to the lemur and sat him down on the ground. Dante and Katara watched as Aang leaped up on the roof tops and out of sight.

"Dante, you need to be covered in spots of your going to be in the crowd." she said, noticing Dante didn't have any of the Pentapus marks.

"Okay, let's go somewhere quiet and I'll remove shirt and . . . just kidding! Oh man you should see how red your face got." Dante laughed hard.

"Ha ha, very funny." Katara said with her cheeks a bit red.

"Actually, sight they people had to act sick in order to sell it – I think it is time to add some academy winning performances." Dante said thinking of a role he could do.

The Sun had reached high noon and the fire soldiers were on alert with reports of strange things, one of which was trudging right toward them moaning like the zombies of the made by the Earthbending Voodoo priests of the eastern part of the Earth Kingdom. Suddenly a guy with his face wrapped in badges with tuffs of white hair sticking out raced ahead of the mob. When the guard saw him they aimed their spears toward him. They were trained to expect any resistance. But nothing could get them ready for a plague or anything self inflicted. The bandaged man fell to his knees and to out what looked like a flyswatter and proceed to whip his face and torso. "I can't get clean! I CAN'T GET CLEAN!" he wailed like an absolute madman. Katara and Sokka where in the thick of it moaning along with people.

"PLAGUE! PLAGUE" the soldiers shouted as turned bolted in the other direction. The alarm was sounded which called the attention the governor and his family to the main gate. "What is going on down there?" the governor asked.

"I saw some kids who were sick with Pentapox. It must have spread." The captain explained.

"Pentapox? Hmm I'm pretty sure I've heard of that." mused the governor.

"Oh, this is terrible!" replied the governor's wife.

"What should we do?" asked the captain.

"Drive them out of the city, but don't touch them. We have to rid this city of this disease." stated the governor with steel resolution.

Mai offered bowl to her father."Fire-flakes, Dad?" she asked without a care in the world about the grim death below.

The governor's wife embraced her husband for comfort while her infant son waddled inside.

Meanwhile the crowd of plague victims exited the city except for one. Dante slipped unnoticed into the alley and began to change out of his disguise into another that was suited for the task at hand. He wore black pants in dark brass shin armor with dark leather boots, he thought about wearing the flexible leather armor suited for the task but gave it up as he preferred more freedom of movement and decided to go commando from the belt up. And finally he summons a tattoo of a dragon coiled center on his right arm and arms his shoulder. He stepped out the second story window and raced across the rooftops with the ease of his experience in parkour.

While Dante handled on part of the city Aang search in another part looking for Bumi. He jumped from roof top to railing until he saw a large gorilla-goat chained up operating a wheeled crank.

"Flopsie!" Aang called out to another old friend.

The Gorilla-goat reached out it hung him but the chain prevented him from coming any closer. Aang jumped to the base of the chain bend water from the trough over to it, freezing it slid and with one good swing he shattered the chain freeing Flopsie. Greatful Flopise bear hug Aang and licked him in greeting.

"Heh, come one floppies, you got to help me find Bumi." Aang got on his the creatures back and said: "Yip-Yip!" Flopise just sat there not understanding what Aang meant. "Oh I guess that doesn't work with you – Let's go!" And as quick as a flash the gorilla-goat went full gallop down the alley.

Back in the upper part of the city Dante sprint across the rooftops and leaped over a gap in the buildings. He saw another gap that was large and noticed that I had a wall. He ran on it crossing the gab and landing on the other side in quick succession.

He saw a two guards talking to each other and stop and hide around the corner. He peaked out to watch them. The discussed the plague victims leaving the city and how they should lucky they did. Then they mentioned the governor and his family housed in the lavish palace just few stories above them - that is where he wanted to go. Suddenly he failed to noticed a guard stepping out of a build and turning the corner and seeing,

"Hey!" the guard said and Dante turned just in time to evade the spear coming toward him. He twisted around and pulled a dagger he always had on his person and swiftly cut the guard in the three vital places.

Then the two other guards saying goodbye as they return to their duties. One went inside and one returned to looking out of the railing. Dante picked up the body and put him over his back and looked for a place to hide the guard . . .

. . . Afterward he made his way up the manor of the governor and went inside thru the windows. Judging by the looks of it was a living room. If this the governor's quarter was here then it should hold the something important the resistance could use like strengths and weakness in the fortifications or perhaps where the mad king was hold up at. He slipped into the all hallway and crept soft around the corner. He needed to stick with the shadows wherever he could find some in broad day light in a manor filled with guards on duty. He then heard someone speaking in a nearby room. The door opened and Dante took cover quick. His eyes could hardly believe it the girl from last night who shot daggers at them . . . Mai.

He remembered her and her friend Ty Lee and Azula when they were runts running thru the fire palace halls. Mai and Ty Lee were the daughters of nobleman we were sent off top Fire Academy for Girls as part of their education. Mai already had a boyfriend though Dante still could woo her with word that could take her mind off what she hated – which is everything. Her jaded calm, cool, collected attitude toward life was something Dante could relate to.

Mai entered into her room and jumped backwards on the bed to relax for a moment before she had to deal with the imbeciles that were her family. Then she heard a someone taking a bite out of a fruit and sat up to see who it was.

"Eh … what's up doc?" Dante said with a cheek full.

"Dante?" Mai said unexpectedly.

"One in the same. The Demonhunter is name." Dante replied back.

"What are you doing here?" she asked.

"Trying to figure out why the skies grey over the city."

"Last I heard you were at the North Pole."

"Contract ended; if we won I get paid. If we lost they pay me double. I took the money and I'm on vacation."

Mai got off her bed and walked over to the window. "Possibly hot and sunny?" she asked.

Dante shrugged "Maybe." He replied

Mai sighed and looked out the window. "Super." She said monotonously.

"Aw. What's wrong my little den of vipers, trouble in paradise?"

"More like the boring hell that is my life." Mai answered truthfully.

"Tell me about." Dante said as he leaned against the wall in interest.

"My dad got a new job here, and that's all there is to It." she explained shortly.

"Good as gold, boring as hell?" Dante said which Mai nodded with rolled eyes. "So you want excitement? If that's the case how about a few relaxing massages that'll rid you of all the stress?" Dante posed.

"You are a masseuse?" she asked.

Dante shrugged, "When I have the time, which is few and far between." he replied.

Mai pondered on the offered, "I highly doubt a massage would help get rid of my absolute abhorrence for this place . . . eh, I'll give it a shot." She sighed.

After getting extra blankets and pillows Dante grabbed the one oil bottle, that was half-full, and sat it on the nightstand. He removed his shirt and placed it fold on a chair and waited until around to see if she was ready. She stepped out from behind the changing screen wearing nothing but red towel she wrapped herself in. She lay down on her belly and rested her head on her arms. Dante began with her feet. Smooth and gentle then he pressed in circular motions into the muscle. Mai closed her eyes and exhaled with a pleasing smile.

Next were the legs, they were the velvety save for a scar on the side of her thigh that seemed to be caused by a blade. He passed his palm over it gently not to cause any discomfort. She shifted slightly and that was all.

"Have you been injured recently?" Dante inquired.

"Yeah, some bonehead was sloppy with an arrow during training and shot me by accident. I told him it was nothing personal . . . before I killed him." Mai explained with another sigh.

"And his head was put in . . ." Dante asked wanting her to continue.

"Poppers grave." she replied. Mai really hasn't changed at all when people have annoyed her. "Let me ask you a question as my masseuse: Do you give the full-service?" she asked suddenly causing Dante to pause and glance at her as she turned her head to the side to look at him.

"Why? Are you wondering or asking." He asked back.

"Both." She replied seductively turning around and sitting up till her face was merely inches from his.

"Then . . . yes." Dante answered before they kissed.

The two embrace each other until they fell onto the bed. Mai broke the kiss to remove his pants. Seems the chance to get some have caused her to be eager. "Hold on there, if you want this to last you need to take your time. If we finish too quickly, then we would have to go back to the boring hell that is life sooner."

Mai got a hand full and yanked them off in one motion. "Oh I AM going to take my time. Believe me."

She opens her robes and tossed them aside to reveal her medium ample breasts to him. Dante reached up and gave them a massage in circular motion. Mai moan in a satisfaction leaning into it as he was striking the first right cords.

An hour has past as the two had sex in various positions and speeds before succumbing to the weight of their combined orgasms. They lay on the bed staring at the ceiling, breathing as if they ran a mile.

"Thanks, I needed that. How about round two and this time with knives." Mai said she turned toward him. Dante felt hot as realized that of sharp weapons during sex was Mai's turn-on.

Elsewhere Momo soared above the roof tops until he landed on the balcony of the Governors manor. He peeked in the window and saw two naked people. He recognized the white hair one known as "Donte" the other was someone else he had not seen before. "Donte" had apple on his head while the girl pulled a blade from the set that line the belts around her thighs. Tossed it and it hit the arm dead center.

Momo went next door and peeked inside to see it was a room full of toys fit of a toddlers dream. Then he saw a bowl of red berries and drooled on sight. He scampered towards it and started gobbling it down and pausing to spit out the seeds that were in his mouths. The baby brother of Mai was tossing his teddy bear into the air and catching it until the sight and sound of seeds being spitting out peeked his curiously and he crawled to investigate. When he got to the table where the berries are all he could find was a long black and white tail dangling over the edge. With a yank he pulled Momo to the floor causing to run for his life while pulled the giggling baby with. Momo escaped the baby's grasp and jumped out of the window and onto the stoop. He looked behind and saw the toddler walking toward him on the rail's edge giggling like the damned. Momo flew away just before the child could snatch him and watched and he slid down the roof into a stone crate of red berries flying down the delivery slide. Momo landed and continue to feast on his favorite snack of the day. The baby popped up and cooed grabbing Momo's tail forcing him to take flight while hauling the child in the air. But the extra weight was too much and he dropped and tumbled with the child landing on top of him. Momo smacked the ground in defeat as he gave up wrestling the adorable demon baby. Then a group of citizens, who were moaning from some odd reason, exited right thru the city gates. Momo went after them with the toddler toddling in hot pursuit.

The night closed in but the circus was awake to perform a very special guest of the Fire Nation. Azula sat down on a special throne they readied for Princess Azula.

"We are deeply honored to have the Fire Lords daughter at our humble circus!" The ring master announced to an empty audience, courtesy of her royal highness' wishes for a VIP show. "Tell us if there is anything we can do to make the show more enjoyable."

"I will." Azula acknowledged.

Dear delicate Ty Lee balanced herself perfectly on a stood designed for the tightrope high above the floor of the circus. Though she was confident in her performance for her friend it was reassuring that there was a net to catch her if she were to fall.

Azula was pleased so far with the performance. "Incredible. Do you think she will fall?"

"Of course not." the ringmaster smiled with reassurance.

"Then wouldn't make it more interesting if you remove the net?" Azula asked.

The Ringmaster eyed widened as he turned to the princess. "Eh … the thing is …" he tried to explain but Azula got another idea.

"Your right, your right, that's been done." The Ringmaster then smiled as the idea was abandoned. "I know … set the net on fire."

"Of course Princess." He gulped in obedience.

He got out of his seat and firebended the net causing it to become a crisscross blazing death trap. Ty lee's expression turned to a worried one – but her focus was not broken. Still balancing herself with one hand she made herself horizontal. The Ringmaster clenched his fists praying for a miracle that she wouldn't fall.

"Brilliant, just brilliant. Oh! What kind of dangerous animals do you have?" she asked next.

"Well, our circus boasts the most exotic assortment-"

"Release them all!" she ordered.

The night was filled with the roars of dangerous animals unleashed on the stage – and dear beauty Ty Lee performed with her trademark grace.

Aang and Flopsie searched high and low, while evading the Fire Soldiers, but no cackle or eyeball of King Bumi.

Through the dim lighting of the candles around the dark bedroom Finally Dante saw it was night time and decided to leave and sat up in bed with Mai awoke seeing him getting dressed.

"You're leaving?" she asked.

"Hunter's Moon. Gotta go." Dante shrugged.

"So soon." She groaned.

"Good thing that we went on for a good while." Dante commented.

"But all good things must come to an end." She said.

"Cheer up I bet there will be something got tomorrow. I highly doubt it but you never know what tomorrow may bring." Dante finally got dressed and stepped out onto the balcony. Mai wrapped herself in her bed sheet with one shoulder exposed and lend against the open window.

"See 'ya." She sighed monotonously as her boredom returned.

"Eh, I'll be around." Dante stood up on the railing and jumped backwards into the darkness of the city below.

Aang and Flopsie crept about through an unlit alleys searching for Dante. They heard a whistle and long over head Dante jumped from one of rooftop and landed in front them.

"Flopsie?" Dante exclaimed. The Goatilla bear hugged Dante tightly before he let him go.

"Did ya'll find Bumi?" Dante asked jumping on flopsie's back.

Aang shook his head. "No."

"We'll first you don't succeed – try, try again … tomorrow, I'm tired. Where did you find the big lug, Aang?"

"Chained up doing hard labor. Where were you?"

Dante shrugged "I went around some blocks, scouted the enemy, found new positions. The usual."

Flopise carried the two heroes through the streets, over the wall and along the battlements until they were able to get to the path that lead from the gate to the mountains. The camp of the resistance was made in a deep ravine that hided the light of their fires. Katara and Sokka looked and out the darkness they saw Aang walking beside Flopise with Dante lounging on his back. The immediately ran over to see what was the news. But Aang's tired expression showed that it was neither good news nor bad news.

"We looked everywhere … no Bumi." Aang informed.

Katara hugged Aang tightly while Sokka hugged Flopise who whimpered greatly.

Dante slid off Flopise when the Commander came over to deliver some odd news of his own. "We got a problem, we just did a head count . . ."

"Oh no, did someone get left behind." Katara asked.

"No," the Commander replied, "We have an extra."

Yung points to something to the left. Katara gazes in that direction and sees Momo staggering forward with the Tom-Tom clamped around his neck. Team Avatar and Yung just stare for a second at the poor animal and the baby.

Dante picked up the baby and looked him in the eye. "Tom-Tom, I presume?"

The baby giggles in response.

Dante nodded, "Hi you big sister told me about you."

Back in Omashu the governor's house in Omashu. The governor's wife is sobbing on the balcony. Her daughter Mai slowly reaches into her robe and pulls out a handkerchief and gives it to her mother with a bored expression on her face.

"So … has kidnapped my son. Everything so clever, so tricky, just like their King Bumi" governor Ukano mused. Even in the absence of the king the people seem to have carried on his wit like a banner in the wind.

"What do you want to do sir?" the captain asked.

Governor had no answer at the moment but steadily an idea was being created.

Back at the Fire Circus in Ty Lee's dressing room she placed a bouquet of pretty dark flowers on her makeup table. Azula followed her to see how she was doing.

"What an exquisite performance. I can't wait to see how you'll top yourself tomorrow." Azula praised her friend.

"I'm sorry Azula but unforchantly there won't be a show tomorrow." Ty Lee informed.

"Really?" Azula said with a clue to the sudden change in plans.

Ty Lee placed her golden tiara on one of the hooks above the mirror. "The universe has given me strong hints that it is time for a career change. I want to join you on your mission."

Azula smile with satisfaction that everything is starting to go her way.

The campsite in the valley. The gang, the baby, Flopsie and three resistance fighters are sitting at one of the many campfires. The baby is still trying to catch Momo. The lemur leaps out of the way and the baby tumbles down, right next to Sokka's club. He picks it up and starts to suck on it. Sokka snatches the club out of the baby's hands. He clearly has no skills when I came to a baby.

"No! Bad Fire Nation baby!" he said sternly.

The child starts to cry. Katara looks from the baby to Sokka and whacks him across the face before placing her hands on her hips in a motherly fashion.

Annoyed Sokka finally gave up. "Oh ... all right."

Sokka gives his club back to the baby who immediately stops crying and starts to play with it. Katara hugs him from behind. "Oooh, you're so cute." She said in a baby voice. She kisses him on the cheek, while an annoyed Sokka looks the other side, resting his head on his hand.

Yung took notice as he sat on the other side of the fire. "Sure he's cute now, but when he's older, he'll join the Fire Nation army. You won't think he's so cute then. He'll be a killer."

Katara picks the baby up and shows him to Yung. "Does that look like the face of a killer to you?" she asked.

Yung's face remains totally indifferent at the sight of the cute baby. It certainly was too soon to tell for him to make sound judgment.

"He may not join the Fire Nation army. The son of a nobleman he may enjoy a life of peace, and prosperity and years of pleasure. I know that from experience."

"Nothing is certain at the present. One can hope that certain things don't come to pass, but under the Fire Nation's guidance, he will.

Dante thought for a moment and turned to Katara with an idea. "Let the little rugrat." He said.

"Really? Have you ever had experience with handling babies?" Katara asked.

"Yes, I had a hand in raising some. If you want any more proof just remembers what your brother did a little while ago." Said Dante causing Sokka to leaning over glare at him.

Katara handled Tom-Tom over to Dante who got him comfortable in his lap. "So you're the newest edition to the nobility of Fire? Well I think it best to introduce you to the other elemental nations. But since we are hiding ravine with some folks the next best thing: THEM." Dante gestured to everyone sitting around the fire. "Let's start with the men in green. They are of the Earth nation. Most diverse of the nations for they have many people of skin tones, tribes, beliefs and cultures. They are a strong people who, like the mountain that stands in the wind, shall not bow."

"However they have gained a rep for being stubborn as they element they bend. There is an old proverb amongst them: "The Nation of Earthbenders without war is a sin." For many centuries the Kingdoms and tribes of the Earth Nation have warred with each other for control; one piece of land to fight with and to fight over. So what is the middle ground of the pros and cons of the Earth Kingdoms – the Avatar, in this case the ones that are born in the Earth Kingdom. One good example is Avatar Kyoshi. She was a true giantess among men. When the great Qin the conqueror began his dream to take over all of the Earth Kingdom she alone stood as a defiant rock solid testament. And we were lovers for a time but your WAY to young for that story."

"I love to hear it." Sokka informed.

"You are WAY too stupid for that story." Dante informed.

Out of the darkness a bird shrieks and lands on a nearby rock. "A messenger hawk!" Yung says.

Aang stood in front of the campfire reading the message. "It's from the Fire Nation governor. He thinks we kidnapped his son. So ... he wants to make a trade. His son . . . for King Bumi." Aang's eyes widening.

The watchful night closed in and the campfires died out. Dante watched as Katara put Tom-Tom to bed; he went to sleep fast from a very fun day. Dante decided to get some sleep, or at least try to.

Upon the midnight hour he began to dream again - Dreams of war.

During the Dragon of the West's campaign to the heart of the Earth Kingdom, Dante was hired once again to assist the Fire Nation's forces. His skills as a Firebender were needed to burn the enemy to ash. His skills with a sword were needed to cut through the "dark spirits" that would show up periodically and cause trouble on the battlefield for both sides. Dante agreed that they will double his pay at the end of the tour.

He smiles upon seeing General Iroh and his son Lu'ten again. They greeted him with a hardy hand shake and hug before asking him to sit down for tea. Dante hated tea and Iroh kept reminding him that it is a real joy to have tea with an old friend or even a fascinating stranger you meet on the road.

The horn was sounded and the battalion advanced. Dante jumped out of the transport and onto his scaly rhino and followed the tank divisions. This was a long journey to the Earth Kingdom capital. One he seems to be reliving even now.

The dream fades to the shadows and Dante sit up whipping his neck of the sweat. He believed he wasn't going to rest easy at all to night and decided to go for a walk. Thru the ravine lit by the light moon he fallowed the path until he came to a spot that was far away from the camp. He sat down and looked at the moon.

But he then sniffed the air and rolled his eyes. "You can come out Katara, I know you are there."

Katara stepped out from the shadows and walked over to him. "Are you okay?" she asked.

Dante sighed. "Yeah I just . . . need some air from the smell of your brother's farts."

Katara chuckled and took a seat beside. "Yeah . . . it is a lot better out here."

"Probably because of. . . Her" Dante pointed up to the moon.

"Huh, oh . . . yeah." Katara got what or rather who he meant.

"Yue's father knew the day when she would become the moon spirit. And he embraced her fate long before she could ever walk, knowing that she will gone from his arms." Dante patted his chest with his fist. "For a firebender it gets me here, ya' know? Not to mention she was quite pretty."

Katara nodded. A moment passed before she remembered what she was going to say. "You know, You and Yue have the same white hair…"

"Because she was touched by the Moon spirit." He said.

"Right. Are you the same?" she asked.

"Yeah." Dante confirmed while his fingers touched the sport on his chest where his necklace would be. "Yes, in a way we are the same. Our roots can be found in the spirit world."

"So, what of your roots?" Katara asked.

Dante took noticed her curiosity and decided to tell her a story of his past while giving it a creative spin to it so the truth is not completely told."I was born on island in the Fire Nation. My parents were wealthy and lived in a manor in islands rolling hills. Even the name of the place reflected it beauty."

"What was the name of the island?" Katara asked.

Dante looked at her with a small smile. "Spring Garden. The reason for that was that it had many natural springs that helped the farmers plant their crops. In spring the cherry trees blossom in full bloom. In the summer the trees become lush and green. In fall the trees are in a swirl of colors. And finally when winter comes it covers everything in a thick blanket of snow."

"It sounds like a paradise." Katara said as the images of such a place filled her head.

"It was. My parents built the place and called it Paradise. They who were firebending masters and spirit beings at the same time. They wanted to see the beauty of what the world could offer. As a child I saw the good in the world … and the evil."

"What do you mean?" Katara asked again.

"All I can say for now is that that the Fire Nation may have started this war but it is just part of the cycle. Another war will begin afterward and another nation will started. That is the one truth. Something I wish I could forget and return to the days when I was a child playing in the fields with my mother.

Morning came to the mountains surrounding Omashu. Aang holds the baby in his arms while he stares at Omashu. He walks down the hill he was standing on toward Katara Dante and Sokka, who are waiting next to Appa.

"You realize we're probably walking right into a trap." Sokka stated.

Aang disagreed, "I don't think so. I'm sure the governor wants his son back as much as we want Bumi." He said smiling at the sleeping baby he holds against his chest. "It's a new day. I have a good feeling about this."

Inside the city of Omashu. A royal palanquin is being carried up the stairs toward the house of the governor. The silhouette of Azula can be seen through the veils. At the base of next stairs, the lonely figure of Mai awaits the arrival of the palanquin. Azula gets out and she and Ty Lee walk over to Mai. They halt before her. Mai puts her hands together and bows slightly toward Azula.

"Please tell me you're here to kill me." Mai greeted them in a bored aura. She looks up at Azula and a slight smile appears on her otherwise emotionless features. Both girls start to laugh.

Azula places her hands on Mai's shoulders. "It's great to see you, Mai." She says.

Ty Lee rushes forward to give Mai a big hug. Mai uncomfortably pats her back a little with her left hand. "I thought you ran off and joined the circus. You said it was your calling." She said confused upon seeing the happy screwball again.

Ty Lee released Mai. "Well, Azula called a little louder."

Azula places a hand on both her friends' shoulders. "I have a mission and I need you both."

"Count me in. Anything to get me out of this place." Mai looks annoyed at the palace.

Inside the palace throne room a large red flag with the black Fire Nation mark on it. Azula is now sitting on the throne of Omashu, flanked by two Fire Nation guards. The governor and his wife are in front of her, as well as Mai and Ty Lee. Governor Ukano who squatting down on a pillow asked the princess for forgiveness, "I apologize. You've come to Omashu at a difficult time. At noon we're making a trade with the resistance to get Tom-Tom back."

Azula crossed her legs and clasps her hands, she was disappointed in the Governors handing of the situation. Yes, I'm so sorry to hear about your son, but really, what did you expect by just letting all the citizens leave?" She stands up, addressing the governor in a harsher tone. "My father has trusted you with this city and you're making a mess of things!"

The governor and his wife prostrate themselves before her. "Forgive me, Princess." He pleaded.

Azula did forgive the Governor, this time, only that it were more matters to time to at this time. Azula walks between the four bowing people in front of her, looking down upon the governor. "You stay here. Mai will handle the hostage trade so you don't have a chance to mess it up. And there is no more "Omashu". I'm renaming it in honor of my father, the city of New Ozai."

The trade was to take place at the foot a large statue of Ozai, still in its scaffolds though. Aang, Dante Katara and Sokka standing on a large wooden scaffold. They look serious as a party of three girls approaches, with Mai leading the way.

"Well, if it is a cold day in hell." Dante said from under his hood.

"What is it?" Sokka asked.

"I know those three since they were little. As they grew older they all developed a crush on me." Dante said.

"Oh really?" Sokka said as he found this a bit amusing.

Dante snapped at Sokka quietly. "Keep sharp, I also assisted in their training."

"Training?" Sokka asked with a worried expressed.

"If we're lucky, you three would see what they can do." Dante concluded

They learn many things including martial arts. Unlike Azula who is a Firebender Mai and Ty Lee were taught in other forms; Mai with blade weapons and Ty Lee in hand to hand, between the three of them they make the perfect warrior. Dante however taught them each a skill that was appropriate to their fighting styles. The fact they have mastered it amazed Dante a great deal, but it worried him at the same time.

A crane began lowering a metal plated cage. In the cage reveals that it is used to contain King Bumi. Only his head is left uncovered.

"Hi, everybody!" chuckled King Bumi.

Aang smiles as he sees his friend. The cage touches the ground behind Azula and the rest.

"You brought my brother?" Mai said loud and clear enough for them to hear.

Aang nodded. "He's here. We're ready to trade."

Suddenly Azula just realized something interesting and decided to inform her friend." I'm sorry, but a thought just occurred to me. Do you mind?"

Bumi follows the conversation, shifting his eyes from one speaker to the other. "Of course not, Princess Azula." Mai replied.

We're trading a two year old for a king." She looks up at Bumi. "A powerful, Earthbending king?"

Bumi Nods "Mmm hmmm!"

"It just doesn't seem like a fair trade, does it?" Azula asked with a bit of her famous logic.

Mai's ponders over the idea as she looks at her brother who yawns and happily rests his head against Sokka's shoulder. Though she tolerated her little brother at his present stage of life, she really rather get her brother back from these resistance's lifeless fingers.

Azula smiles slyly while Mai walks forward. "Your right. The deal's off."

Mai holds up her hand, gesturing the guards to pull Bumi back up. As the chains reel in from above, the King is suspended in the air once again. "Whhhoa! See you all later!" he laughs, clearly amused by all this. Bumi chuckles and snorts as he is lifted from scene.

"Bumi!" Aang shouted and ran after him. He will not lose Bumi again.

"Boy! Get back here!" Dante shouted after him as he failed to snatch him as he ran off.

Aang sprints forward with his glider at the ready, increasing his speed with airbending. Azula tries to stop him by blocking his path with a mighty stream of blue flames. Aang dodges these by leaping high up into the air. Azula is completely shocked by this incredible jump. Aang briefly touches the scaffolding around the statue and pushes himself off, opening his glider in mid air. While opening his glider, he loses his hat, leaving his arrow tattoo exposed. He holds on to the hat with his teeth.

"The Avatar!" Azula said to herself still surprised. She then realizes that, the with the Avatar traded along with Tom-Tom for King Bumi, it was indeed fair. "My lucky day." She said as she smiles smugly.

She runs over to a pulley and blast through the rope that serves as a break. The winch begins to spin rapidly. Azula grabs hold to the rope and is pulled up rapidly toward the top of the construction scaffolding.

Aang lands on the top of Bumi's metal cage. "Aang, is that you? Where did you come from?" Bumi asked sounding surprised.

"Hang on! We're gonna get you out of here." Aang reassured him. He takes a deep breath of starts to blow a cold wind on the chain that is lifting Bumi up. The chain slowly starts to freeze.

On the ground, Mai and Ty Lee charge Sokka and Katara. Mai readies her stilettos while Katara and Dante take on defensive positions.

"We've got to get the baby out of here!" Katara warned Sokka.

Sokka blows on the bison whistle before looking at his sister with a big smile. Way ahead of ya! Tom-Tom reaches for the whistle and starts to play with it.

Dante readied his hands he conjures fire and launches it at them which still keeping up with his friends. Sokka and Katara running to the edge of the big platform. Before they can reach it, Ty Lee's fist emerges from one of the holes in the floor and punches Sokka's foot, causing him to fall over and slide toward the edge. He protectively clutches the baby in his arms, preparing for the worst, but they stop just in time.

Katara, who sees Ty Lee jumping out of the hole in the floor and setting course for Sokka. She bends water from her pouch to attack her, but notices something behind her. Mai, who throws four knives at Katara. Katara reacts by quickly by using her water whip to raise up several wooden planks. the wooden board is just in time to prevent the knives from piercing her face. The knives embed themselves in the wood. Katara uses her water whip again to shoot the wooden boards to Mai. She turns around in one fluent motion toward Ty Lee who has almost reached Sokka and the baby by now. The water whip grabs Ty Lee by the ankle, pulling her to the ground. Dante pulls out Temüjin and deadlocks with Mai as she blocks it with her retractable arm blade out of her right sleeve. This gives Sokka the time he needs to get up and head for a nearby ladder. He slides down and starts his descend of the scaffolding.

Bumi and Aang are still being raised in the air. Aang is still trying to freeze the chain with his breath.

"Aang, stop you're blowing for a minute." Bumi said hoping his friend would listen.

Aang finally succeeds in freezing the chain, when an explosion occurs on top of the scaffolding. Azula is propelled in the air and shoots a plume of blue fire toward Aang with a powerful kick. Aang startles by her sudden appearance and swift attack. He deflects the flame with a strong air current of his own.

Aang turned back to Bumi and readies to break the chain. Bumi tries to stop his friend. "Now hold on just a … DUAHHH!"The swing of Aang's staff breaks the frozen chain and they freefall down.

Aang turns over Bumi's coffin, so he would crash to the ground head first. As they are about to crash upon one of Omashu's chutes, Aang creates an air ball under them to break there fall. They rapidly slide down the chute they landed in. Azula who was following the spectacle from atop the scaffolding frowns and sprints to a nearby chute, pursuing the Avatar and the King down the chute in a box of her own.

Aang standing on Bumi's coffin having a good laugh. "It's just like old times, isn't it, Bumi?"

"Aang, I need to talk to you!" Bumi looked serious as he shouted over the rushing air in his ears.

"It's good to see you too!" Aang replied clearly not listening to his friend.

While Aang is still smiling, he notices the fast approach of something in a chute on his left. He turns to see what it is, just as Azula shoots several fire missiles toward them. He spins his staff above his head to deflect them. Both chutes come together and Azula is now behind them. Aang directs a gust at her, but she parts it with her hands clasped together in front of her. She retaliates with several fire blasts. Aang ducks underneath them and starts to peddle with his staff, increasing their speed. They enter a portion of the chute that has wooden arches over it at short intervals. Aang cuts these through with an air blade, making them collapse upon the track. Azula is caught in the dust cloud, knocked up by the falling debris. When her box emerges again, it seems to be empty. Aang does not see Azula anymore and sighs in relief, but his sigh quickly turns into a scream as Azula emerges again from the box, sending another beam of fire toward him.

On the large wooden platform Mai is still fighting Katara. Mai dodges Katara's water whips and answers her attacks by shooting stilettos out of the launcher attached to her leg. Katara easily defends herself by freezing the water to create an ice wall. Mai uses this time to charge Katara head on. The waterbender defends herself by capturing Mai's right arm in a stream of water and freezing it. Mai tries to break the ice, but fails. Ty Lee climbs on the platform behind Katara. She bounces toward Katara and hits her with several quick jabs on her arms. Katara is surprised by this attack and loses control over her water stream that splashes on the ground. She tries to raise the water again, but it only moves a little.

"How are you gonna fight without your bending?" Mai taunted.

Mai pulls out a sai from her robe and takes aim at a shocked Katara. Just as she is about to throw the weapon, Sokka's boomerang knocks it out of her hand. Ty Lee and Mai spin around to see Sokka and Dante flying in on Appa.

Sokka catches his boomerang with a victory grin. "I seem to manage!"

Dante rolled his eyes. "If you say so."

Sokka and Appa land between Katara and her attackers. As Appa lands, he slams his tail hard on the ground, sending Mai and Ty Lee flying off the scaffolding. To and insult to injure Dante took out one of Mai's throwing blade recovered from earlier and threw it back towards her. It hit the space beside her head. She turned and looked at it with a raised eyebrow. Ty Lee sat up and mused over who she just fought with.

"I can't believe that was Dante. Can you?" Ty Lee asked Mai.

"I had a hunch he would show up at some point." Mai replied. She'd never told and Ty Lee of what she and Dante did yesterday. A girl doesn't kiss and tell about some guy she would like to see again.

Sokka and Katara are flying down the chutes of Omashu atop Appa's head. Katara looks and points to her left. "There's Aang!" she shouted.

Sokka gazing in the direction Katara pointed. "We can catch him!"

With a growl, Appa changes course toward Aang.

Azula who is still on the offensive, directing multiple beams of fire at Aang. He spins his staff around in defense while they are still rocketing down the chute. Appa pulls up next to him.

"Hang on, Bumi! Our ride's here!" Aang said.

Appa swerves to avoid another blue fire blast. As he pulls closer again, Aang lifts up the coffin by hitting the side of the chute. Katara and Sokka try to grab hold of the coffin as it passes overhead, but they cannot reach it. Dante hooks onto the coffin with his grappling claw Ophion which I pulls through air as he goes for a ride. Bumi screams as he and Aang fall down. Aang moves the coffin to a more horizontal position in midair. Their fall is broken by another chute as they land crosswise on it, breaking right through. They land on another chute and start to slide down once again with Azula on their trail. Dante land on the Coffin and smiles at Bumi.

"Howdy, Dante. You haven't changed a day." Bumi smiled.

"Nice to see ya', you old coot." Dante responded.

Azula creates a whirling disk of flames and sends it down the chute. It rapidly gains on Aang and Bumi. Bumi peeks at the upcoming fire disk and clenches his teeth in effort. A pillar of earth rises in the middle of the chute, protecting them from the disk. Azula gasps for air as she notices that her path is blocked. She jumps up in the nick of time and slides down the chute on foot, while her box slams to pieces against the rock. She eventually halts in the middle of the chute, looking displeased at Aang Dante and Bumi who continue their descent.

Aang was shocked, "You could earthbend? All along?"

"Well, they didn't cover my face." Bumi said with a smirked.

Bumi strains himself again in effort and raises another earth pillar to stop their descent down the chute. The coffin hits it and ends up standing straight atop the rock, while Aang and Dante lands in front of it, looking up at their friend.

"I don't understand. Why didn't you free yourself? Why did you surrender when Omashu was invaded? What's the matter with you, Bumi?" Aang asked slightly annoyed and angry.

"Yeah, is your dementia suffering it own version of dementia?" Dante demanded why the guy he was ricking life and limb for is playing the 'I Surrender!' game."

"Listen to me, Aang. There are options in fighting, called jing. It's a choice of how you direct your energy." King Bumi began calmly explain his actions.

"I know! There's positive jing when you're attacking, and negative jing when you're retreating." Aang agreed in an annoyed tone.

King Bumi Happily smiles as to what he is about to tell them. "... and neutral jing when you do nothing!

Aang looked shocked "There are three jings?"

"Well, technically there are eighty-five, but let's just focus on the third. Neutral jing is the key to earthbending. It involves listening and waiting for the right moment to strike."

Aang finally understood as it all became clear. "That's why you surrendered, isn't it?"

Yes, and it's why I can't leave now."

Aang sadly turns around. "I guess I need to find someone else to teach me earthbending."

Dante patted Aang's shoulder to cheer him up. "The show must go on, bro, even if we're still looking."

"Your teacher will be someone who has mastered neutral jing. You need to find someone who waits and listens before striking." Bumi concluded.

Momo lands on Aang's shoulders. "Hey, Momo!"

Bumi smirked. "Momo's mastered a few jings himself!"

Momo screeches loudly at Bumi in agreement.

"Goodbye, Aang. It was real see again Dante. I'll see you both when the time is right."

With that King Bumi lets his coffin tumble backward and begins his ascend of the chute. He laughs and snorts like a mad man while he uses his earthbending to drive him back to the top of the chute, leaving Aang Dante and Momo behind.

The royal palanquin began to exit out the city, flanked by Mai and Ty Lee.

"So, we're tracking down your brother and Uncle, huh?" Mai finally got caught up on the news.

"It'll be interesting seeing Zuko again," Ty Lee teased, "won't it, Mai?"

Mai looks away as a smile plays upon her face. Azula on the other hand was deep in thought when she speaks again in a serious tone. "It's not just Zuko and Iroh anymore. We have a third target now."

The Avatar.

that night Aang peeked down over the gutter of the governor's house. The governor holds his wife while they are looking over the city with a sad expression on their face. Aang silently lands behind them and drops off Tom-Tom. Aang takes off again while the child toddles toward his parents. As they hear the cooing of the child, they turn around, gasping with surprise and excitement.

"Tom-Tom!" Michi said in joy.

The governor and his wife joyfully take the baby up into their arms under the watchful eye of Aang who is sitting on the roof. He smiles at the happy scene of the reunited family before he takes off.

A child's life is more precious than any treasure. To see the child returned to their parents after being lost is truly its own reward.


	4. Chapter 4

**BOOK TWO: EARTH**

**CHAPTER FOUR: THE SWAMP**

**::**

**::**

In the rolling hills of rice paddies lying rest a Earth Kingdom village. People carrying backpacks and other loads walk back and forth over the bridge of a nearby stream, either entering or departing the small village.

Iroh and Zuko sitting on straw mats, their stolen ostrich horse lying behind them. A cart with masks for sale passes by in front of them; Zuko notices from under his straw shade hat that one of the masks is the Blue Spirit mask, a mask his is very familiar with. As the cart passes, another pedestrian walks in front of Iroh. Iroh holds his hat out to the pedestrian and begins to talk to him. Or rather begs of him.

"Spare coins for weary travelers?" Iroh asks somewhat enthusiastically.

The pedestrian tosses a couple of copper pieces into Iroh's hat as Zuko turns to Iroh in anger. "This is humiliating! We're royalty! These people should be giving us whatever we want."

In his mind Zuko still sees himself as a prince. He lived a life of luxury and the life of a beggar on the run had not sunk in yet. But it was process was gradual. Iroh knew that if they announced themselves as royal the people may ask of nation are they from. Iroh chosen a different solution though.

"They will if you ask nicely." He said before a pretty peasant woman strolls past "Spare change for a hungry old man?" he asks somewhat dramatically with sad puppy dog eyes.

"Aw, here you go." She said cheerful withdrawing a coin from her sleeve.

"The coin is appreciated, but not as much as your smile!" Iroh adds.

Zuko slaps his forehead in frustration as the young girl giggles lightly and walks away. As soon as she walks away, a man with dual broadswords on his back wanders up to Iroh and Zuko.

"How about some entertainment in exchange for ... a gold piece?" says Broadsword man

"We're not performers." Zuko replied in an annoyed tone.

"Not professional anyway." Iroh added and stood up beginning to sing. "It's a long, long way to Ba Sing Se, but the girls in the city, they look so pretty!"

Annoyed with the quality of the entertainment the Broadsword man decides to 'encourage' Iroh. "Come on, we're talking a gold piece here! Let's see some action! Dance!" Zuko glances up sharply as the man withdraws his swords.

The man begins to slice the ground near Iroh's feet; Iroh hops up and down to "dodge" the attacks while Zuko struggles to control his anger at the man. It wasn't long until the citizens have stopped what they were doing to watch the spectacle.

Iroh finally reach the end and hit on a high note. "They kiss so sweet that you really got to meet the girls from BA SING SE!"

The Broadsword man stops slicing and laughs with great satisfaction. "Ha, ha! Nothing like a fat man dancing for his dinner! Here ya go!" He tosses the gold coin onto the ground and walks away.

"Such a kind man." Iroh said close to tears. He was happy to perform for people.

Zuko glares after the man in anger and humiliation. He bet that that man was kind; the type of kindness that makes people groan in misery if he didn't get his way. Zuko hatched a plan that would take care of that scumbag and their predicament in the process.

::

Over basin miles in another direction Appa, flying through a gray sky over a large forested area; covered somewhat by fog, and looks rather menacing. Sokka is rubbing a whetstone against his machete; while Katara is studying a scroll and Dante is play a gentle tune on his Pipa. Aang stares at the swamp, and seems to be in a trance. Sokka notices they were slowly flying down, and notices Aang's deep trance-like state.

"Hey, you taking us down for a reason?" Sokka asked Aang continues to stare at the swamp. "Why are we going down?"

Aang shook his head confused on the matter. "What? I didn't even notice." He said.

"Are you noticing now?" Sokka informs him again.

Katara moved to the front of the saddle. "Is something wrong? She asks.

Dante put down his lute and join them. "If it's something we can see coming." He replied.

"I know this is going to sound weird, but I think the swamp is calling to me." Aang explain as his is still dazed by the swamp.

Sokka heard his stomach growl. "Is it telling you where we can get something to eat?"

"No, I ... I think it wants us to land there." Aang corrected him.

Sokka shrugged, "No offense to the swamp, but I don't see any land there to land on."

Aang still felt that need to land. It was he dares say persistent. "I don't know. Bumi said to learn Earthbending I would have to wait and listen, and now I'm actually hearing the earth. Do you want me to ignore it?"

Sokka, Katara, Dante and Momo look over Appa's saddle down at the swamp

"Yes." said Sokka.

Dante looked down at the swamp, though the canopy and into the shadows below. At first it just seemed like just another lush jungle that he has seen in many, many places. But this seemed different, he didn't know how, but it felt like it was … observant. Like whatever was done there was watching them, not to mention it's telling Aang to land down there. Such a thing can make his skin crawl from time to time. "Unless the swamp is telling you to land because there is a damsel in distress down there, let's just move along."

"I don't know. There's something ominous about that place." Katara added.

Sokka took notice that Momo hid inside Appa's saddle while he groans. "See, even Appa and Momo don't like it here."

"Okay, since everyone feels so strongly about this," Aang takes one last look at swamp. "Bye swamp." He said and Shakes Appa's rope. "Yip, Yip!"

Appa groans and flies upward, away from the swamp. A tornado suddenly emerges from out of nowhere, heading right for Appa. Sokka, hearing something, turns around and finally sees it.

"You better throw in an extra "yip"! We gotta move!" he says in panic mode. Dante notices what's coming and his eyes widened as he begins to play the tune for the Wicked Witch of the West.

Appa starts to fly faster, attempting to avoid the tornado; however he is not fast enough to get away. As the tornado begins to move closer to Appa, the wind pulls Sokka right off from the saddle. Katara manages to grab his hand, holding him back from flying into the tornado. Aang jumps up onto Appa's saddle and creates an air shield around Appa, stabilizing the air and allowing Sokka to fall back into the saddle, uninjured. The wind sucks Appa, who is still protected by the air shield, into the tornado. Aang struggles to maintain the air shield, however as it shrinks, one of Appa's legs slips from the protective air, thereby breaking it. Aang, Dante, Katara, and Sokka fall off Appa, with Aang landing lightly in muddied water as the latter three lands quite roughly creating a trail of dust from their crash. Appa and Momo are thrown elsewhere in the swamp.

Aang around the swamp and at his friends. Sokka sits up from the water while Dante spits the swamp water out like a fountain." Where's Appa and Momo?" Aang asked and jumps up to the top of the trees, looking for his animal friends as he uses the height of a very tall and slender tree to search for them. "Appa! Momo!"

Nothing.

Down below Katara glances at her elbow before looking up at her brother. "Sokka, you've got an elbow leech." She points out.

He spins around, panicking, trying to find it. "Where? Where?"

Crosses her arms; she replies sarcastically: "Where do you think?"

As the name suggests a long dark worm like creature is shown sticking on to Sokka's elbow. He rips off the elbow leech and throws it behind to Katara. "Why do things keep attaching to me?!" He cries out angrily.

Aang swings over the muddied water on a vine, waiting for it to stop moving so he can land.

"You couldn't find them?" Katara asked.

Aang jumps down into the muddy water shaking his head. "No, and the tornado ... it just disappeared."

Dante, Katara and Sokka turn to face the darkness in the swamp. Meanwhile Appa, who is hanging suspended over the swamp, caught in a mass of vines. Momo jumps up from the saddle and begins chewing through the vines. Appa falls, with Momo, into the muddy water. He shakes the water from his fur and takes off flying, before again becoming trapped. Appa groans as Momo berates him, before the lemur begins to cut the vines, again. The clumsiness of stubbornness of an Airbison is something one must tolerate.

Back to the gang they understood they need to make progress by find Appa and Momo. So until they CAN make progress Sokka begins cutting the vines with his machete. "We better speed things up."

"Maybe we should be a little nicer to the swamp." Aang warned to Sokka.

Sokka briefly looked back at Aang as he continuing to cut the vines. "Aang, these are just plants. Do you want me to say "please" and "thank you" as I swing my machete back and forth?"

"They aren't the magic words for nothing." Dante said as he looked up through the trees and saw a giant bat-like creature hanging upside down from one of the branches.

Katara looked around at the trees. "Maybe you should listen to Aang. Something about this place feels ... alive."

Sokka stop cutting and turned around to his sister. "I'm sure there are lots of things that are alive here and if we don't wanna wind up getting eaten by them, we need to find Appa as fast as we can."

He was right; the current situation can only get better in finding their furry friends. They follow Sokka as he cut a path through the hanging vines.

Elsewhere, Appa is walking on the wet, muddy ground, trailing his footprints behind, carrying Momo on his back. A tree trunk happens to be in Appa's way, and the bison collapses to the ground, unwilling to attempt flying over it or crawling beneath it. Momo takes Aang's bison whistle and blows it to make Appa move. The bison ignores it the first time, growling angrily, but when Momo blows it a second time, he uses his tail to squash the lemur. Dazed from the blow, Momo sways and collapses. When trying to figure out how to go through an obstacle, Appa prefers not to be rushed.

The gang was now walking through a foggier part of the swamp. "Appa! Momo!" Katara yelled.

Sokka knew the odd were against now that it was getting darker. "There's no way they can hear us and no way we can see them. We'll have to make camp for the night."

Several flies surround Sokka. Sokka swings his machete at them, trying to shoo them away. At that moment, a huge bubble of swamp gas rises from the muddy water below them.

"What was that?" Katara asked to the unknown sound.

"Nothing, just swamp gas. Look, there's nothing supernatural going on here."

The gas grows closer to them. The four groan as the smell reaches them, with Sokka waving his hand in front of his nose as Katara clamps hers shut. Suddenly, the quiet is shattered by a terrifying scream, causing them all to scream and huddle together, looking around wide-eyed for the source. They look backwards and saw a small, grumpy-looking white bird. It opens its beak extremely wide, emitting the terrifying scream, and flutters off.

"I think we should build a fire." Sokka said with his voice cracking, and sweating like a muledog.

Sokka runs off to a nearby tree and cuts pieces of wood from its roots. "Sokka, the longer we're here, the more I think you shouldn't be doing do that." Aang warned.

"No, I asked the swamp. It said this was fine. Right, swamp?" Grabs a nearby root and performs a sappy ventriloquist act by shaking the root and faking a reply. "No problem, Sokka!"

Sokka continues to chop up the roots, while Aang looks somewhat annoyed. Once there was enough of wood Sokka began to ignite it with his whetstone, or at least try to. Sokka seemed to forget that in a place like a swamp it may be a bit difficult to start a fire due to the moisture in the soil and in the wood. Fortunately there was a solution.

While Sokka was struggling to start a fire Dante, who was sitting beside him, smirked and chuckled to silently as he watched the Watertribe guy struggle to make fire. Finally, after it was getting more darker Dante gathered enough his spit in his mouth and spat out fire loogie at the pile of wood in front of Sokka causing it to exploded a plume of fire. Sokka was on his back with his face covered in soot. Dante lean over Sokka to see if he's alright.

"Thank you." he said.

"You're welcome." Dante replied.

The fire was burning nicely as the four we seated around it. At this respite Dante would play a tune on his pipa but because of the tornado from earlier he lost it. Everyone else basic had nothing else to do expect stare at the fire. Katara on the other hand glancing around at the swamp. "Does anyone else get the feeling that we're being watched?" she asked.

"Please, we're all alone out here." Sokka reassured Katara. A fly suddenly buzzed near him and uses his machete to try and scare it off. The fly turns into a big, shining ball of light. It flies away from the gang, illuminating over a dozen pairs of eyes staring at them from the trees themselves.

"Except for them." Aang said.

They turn back around and huddle together. Sokka's calm demeanor vanished as quickly as it came. "Right, except for them."

None of them noticed but the three of them were huddled together with Dante trapped in middle. They were so close that he couldn't move his fingers when adjusting his sandals. The suddenly huddle has trapped him like he was prisoner with his wrist tried together. He just sighed in not fighting it. Whatever is out there it is best they stay close for if something does come near it can't dragged they away without the others pulling them back.

Meanwhile Appa and Momo, who are lying down on a giant tree branch, the constant nocturnal noises echoing around them has Momo scuttling frantically from one end of the saddle to the other whilst chittering in fear. Appa, unable to sleep by the noise, growls loudly, causing the noises to stop, and Momo settles down on Appa's saddle. As Momo begins to close his eyes, another small sound is heard, causing his ears to perk up and his eyes to widen.

In the interim the gang's camp fire is beginning to die out, and the four friends are huddled together, sleeping. But, quietly as the mist around them was, a vine snake its way to Sokka's leg, which was sticking out, and begins to wind around both it and Sokka's whole body.

One by one the four were slowly tied up by several vines that snake out of the shadows. For a moment, they are still asleep - Sokka holding his machete and drooling - but they awake screaming as the vines simultaneously yank them all out off in four directions away from each other.

Thinking quickly Sokka plants the blade of his machete in the ground as he is dragged away. Both Katara, Dante, and Aang are also dragged off into the mist. Sokka gets up and looks around for the others. The respite does not last long as vines are suddenly thrown at him. They wrap around him and attempt to drag him away again. Before he can travel too far, Sokka starts hacking the vines with his machete. He frees himself and runs back down the tree root, pursued by more vines.

Katara struggles to free herself from the vines. Using a water whip she cuts through her bonds and runs off into the mist.

Dante is dragged on ground and through the water as freed himself by firebending at the vines around his legs. He succeeds and rolls backwards and lands on his feet drawing Temüjin from the scabbard on his waist slash. He cuts through the incoming vines effortlessly as he sprints off into the shadows.

Aang frees himself by creating an air bubble around him and expanding it. His bonds attach to the bubble, and Aang jumps away before they ensnare him again. He jumps through the trees, closely pursued by more vines. He escapes a vine that pulls him to the ground using his airbending to propel himself far away and soon finds himself alone in the swamp. Aang looks around for his friends and find no one is around. Whatever this is, it has divided them and only thing left to do is to conquer.

Elsewhere there was another hunting and now is hot the trail left by Appa's footprint, which is now filled with swamp water. Two figures are looking down at the footprint. Their names were Due and Tho. Due is tall and skinny, while his friend Tho is short and fat. Both wear small, animal skin loincloths and have a single, large leaf on their heads to serve as a hat. Tho is carrying a stick, and uses it to indicate the animal track.

"What'd you reckon make a track like that, Tho?" Due asked.

"Don't know, Due." Says Tho as he points his stick at the footprint. "Some'in with six legs. Pretty big'uns too."

"Leaves a nice, wide trail to folla'." Due says.

"You know what's at the end of that trail?" Tho asked.

Due shakes his head and Tho smiles. "Dinner."

At that moment Appa was swimming in the marshy water while Momo goes after a fly that has been buzzing around him. He lands on a nearby tree root, still attempting to catch the fly. He hops from tree root to tree root, following the fly, although unknowingly lands on the back of a catgator. He catches the fly on the last root, but lets go of it as he jumps to fly away from the creature. It pursues Momo as he flies back to Appa. When Momo and the crocodile reach Appa, the sky bison's mouth is open and the catgator swims right into it. Appa holds the creature there for a moment, before spitting it back out. Momo and the catfish crocodile hiss at each other for a moment, and the crocodile swims off. Appa shakes his head and loudly groans. What is going to with this rascal of a lemur on his back?

Meanwhile Katara entered through an area where the tree roots are covered in white flowers. She called out called out for her friend and heard nothing.

Up ahead Katara could see a figure standing in the water face away from her. Katara begins walking toward the figure hoping this person can help her.

"Hello? Hello? Can you help me?" she calls out.

As she approached closer she could see it was another Water Tribe woman who is wears the same robe as Katara and has the same hair style.

"Mom? Mom!" she called loudly and running toward the figure, her eyes streaming tears of joy. She reaches the figure and places a hand on her shoulder. "I can't believe ..."

The smile leaves her face as the scene begins to lighten. Katara stands in front of a tree stump as she realizes the figure was only an illusion. Katara gasps, falling to her knees as she begins to cry. Devastated and yet she wanted to believe it was really her mother.

Sokka slashing at the vines in frustration "Stupid swamp! Dumb, ugly vines! Katara!" He becomes caught, and grunts with exertion before slicing himself free. "You think you're so tough, huh?"

Sokka trips over as he cuts through the vine in which he was tangled, falling forward his face in the mud. Upon lifting up his head, he sees an image of Yue in a beam of light not far in front of him. Sokka stands up, puts away his machete and starts walking toward Yue.

"Hello? Yue?" He said before taking hold of his head, before removing his hands and shrugging, turning away from the apparition. "This is just a trick of the light ... swamp gas ... I ... hit my head running away last night. I'm going crazy." While that last part maybe true all year around he can't help but this that this could be the real thing. He turns around and walks closer to see what Princess Yue wants.

"You didn't protect me." She states accusingly.

Sokka rubs his eyes in disbelief, opening them to find that Yue has disappeared. Sokka sighs in relief, but as he turns around he falls over backward, startled at seeing Yue right before his eyes again. The image of Yue disappears immediately after that and Sokka stands up and pulls his machete back out, almost threateningly. The last time he saw her she didn't accused him of failing in protecting her. This was obviously a trick of sorts. But he has a feeling it was more than that. Sokka instead pushes it out of his mind for now and continues on to search for his friends.

Dante stepped through the hanging vines into a one of the several places in the swamp that sunlight shone through the thick canopy. He could hear the animals around him chitterling and chattering. Suddenly a scream grumpy-looking white bird startled him again and he firebended at the bird which scared it off. The fire lingered on the roots of a tree and Dante rolled his eyes and water bending the fire out. Then they all got eerily quiet and Dante walked through the water carefully as it was a clear sign a predator was on the prowl. Then he looked he saw someone sitting on the stump.

"Excuse me can, you help?" he asked, "I'm looking for a kid with a bald head and two others who are dressed in blue. Seen them?"

As he got closer the person appeared to be taller than him with long arms and legs. The person was naked as their blue striped skin was scene along with their long black hair and cat-like features. When the he got closer person turned and looked at him cause him to freeze in his tracks as the impossible was before him.

"Peyral?" he said.

The Na'vi smiled and stood and opened her arms in greeting. Dante rushed over and embraced the giant blue huntress he once called his mate on a world far from this one.

But as he did he passed through as if she was air and fell into the water. He wiped his face clean from the muck and turned around to find she was gone. Dante then recalled that she was indeed dead … Because he buried her. He took rebellion and planted it in the ground and leaded his head against it and for his sorrow was bitterly.

Upon wading through the swamp, Aang notices an unfamiliar girl in a dress standing on a hill, accompanied by a winged pig. "Hello? Who are you?" he asks the stranger. The pig flies off and the girl giggles in response, before turning around and running away. "Hey, come back!" he shouts.

Aang jumps to the top of the hill, only to find she has completely disappeared from his sight. Hearing her laugh again, Aang turns around only to see her running across the limbs of another tree. He uses the vines, however before he can even reach his destination, the girl has moved and is now running across the ground tries to chase the girl. Aang continues his wild chase through the treetops hoping to catch this white rabbit.

Appa with Momo on his back swimming through the river that flows through the swamp. A little further on the stream, covered by fog, is a group of six swamp tribe members divided over three canoes; Due and Tho sitting in the middle canoe. They look at each other in silence for a few moments, Tho wetting his lips using his tongue. Appa halts as Momo chitters at the strange people.

"Look at that Tho. Is that a little hairy fella ridin' that thing?" Due asked.

"No, that's what they call a "lemoo". Saw one at a traveling show once. Real smart they say." Tho replied.

"Bet he tastes a lot like possum chicken." Due said while his stomach growled.

Tho rolled his eyes. "You think everything tastes like possum chicken."

"C'mon now, fellas." He moves to the front of the boat." Just a little closer. Nice and easy. Nothing to worry about. We just fixin' to eat ya."

Appa turns around and takes off in the opposite direction. Tho glares a Due. "What'd you say that fer?"

Due shrugged as he tries to appease his friend. "Well, we are!"

"But you don't have to tell 'em that!" Tho stated.

Due shrugs. "Well how'd I know they'd understand me?"

Tho gestures to the rest to begin the chase. "Come on!"

Due stands up in front of the canoe and starts spinning his arms, bending the water behind his canoe in order to chase Appa. The other two canoes follow suit, trailing behind Appa in a 'V' formation. Appa bounds through the river, desperate to escape the strange people hunting him.

Meanwhile back to Aang, who is still chasing the girl. Peering through a wall of vegetation, Aang sees the girl on a small hill.

"Who are you?" he asks

Running after her, it is too late to stop as he notices that it is not the girl, but Katara. Aang runs into the waterbender and they both fall over. As the rolled Dante stepped out the vines and turned to see them but couldn't jump out of way was caught up with them. Sokka hears the commotion and turns around to investigate with his machete cocked - in the wrong direction, as only a few seconds later, Aang, Dante and Katara come barreling down the root he is standing on and hit him in the back, knocking him over too.

He stands up and puts his machete away. "What do you guys think you're doing!? I've been looking all over for you!"

Katara has not moved, although her hand is on her head as she sits on the root they have fallen onto. "Well, I've been wandering around looking for you!"

He looks away before airbending himself to his feet, he feels embarrassed that he was not actively searching for his friends like they were him."I was chasing some girl." he admits.

"What girl?" Katara asks.

"I don't know. I heard laughing and I saw some girl in a fancy dress."

"Well, there must be a tea party here and we just didn't get our invitations!" Sooka explained sarcastically.

"I thought I saw Mom." Katara said sadly.

Sokka was silent for a moment before answering. "Look, we were all just scared and hungry and our minds were playing tricks on us. That's why we all saw things out here."

"Exactly." Dante agreed.

Katara looked surprised. "You two saw something as well?"

"I thought a saw my late wife." Dante said as he looked out at the swamp.

Everyone was surprised to hear Dante was married at one point. None of them thought he was the marring type.

Sokka looks away for a moment, before turning back and taking a step closer to his sister. "I thought I saw Yue. But, that doesn't prove anything. Look, I think about her all the time, and you saw Mom, and you saw your wife, someone you guys miss a lot."

Aang was still lost on the subject. "What about me? I didn't know the girl I saw. And all our visions led us right here."

"Okay ... so where's here? The middle of the swamp?" Katara asked.

Aang begins walking around, as if looking for something. He looks around, his gaze finally resting on a massive tree growing right next to him. He tilts his head up high seeing how enormous the tree is.

"Yeah, the center ... it's the heart of the swamp. It's been calling us here. I knew it."

For Sokka this was getting ridiculous. "It's just a tree. It can't call anyone. For the last time, there's nothing after us and there's nothing magical happening here."

As Sokka finishes his tirade, a seaweed monster jumps out from the water. The gang huddles together and screams, separating as the monster begins to attack them. The seaweed monster goes after Sokka first as the four split up, each running in different directions. Sokka is picked up and swung around, only being released as Aang uses airbending to slice part of the monster's arm off. The monster goes after Aang, flicking him away and into the surrounding trees. Dante summons rebellion and attack the monsters arms before leaping away as it turns to swat him. Sokka is shown fighting with the vines that had him captured only seconds ago, and so intent was he at destroying them, he failed to notice a column rising behind himself. The column attaches to the seaweed monster and Sokka is swiped from the ground. Katara comes to his rescue this time as she slices at the monster's arm. It did not have the desired effect, as more vines grew to patch up the hole her waterbending created. She manages to push the monster back a little; however it is not long before she is flung away. Aang stops to watch her, giving the monster time to attack him. Sokka is absorbed into the chest of the monster. Things were not looking good.

Elsewhere while running at high speed Appa continues his escape from the Foggy Swamp tribesmen. Momo throws objects at them from the back of his friend, attempting to slow them down. One of these such items was a shirt that belongs to Sokka at a Foggy Swamp member, resulting in the boat that member was on to spin out of control.

"Now, what would a lemoo need a shirt fer?" Tho asks himself.

Tho manages to capture Momo after the latter hits a low tree branch and is thrown backward. The loss of his friend encourages Appa to run faster.

The gang was still engaged with the seaweed monster. Dante waterbends giant orb of ice and hits the monster with it to disorient it allowing Aang to ride in with on an air ball and use a tornado-like airbending move to wrap it up. Katara freezes Sokka in place before shooting him with water, expelling him from the monster's body. Aang leaps and face slams the monster into the water. Dante landed beside Aang only to have the monster quickly smack them both away.

The fight ends as Katara begins to waterbending loop like blades repeatedly at the monster, slicing through the vines and not allowing the monster to regenerate. Sokka noticed a person inside the monster, bending the vines. "There's someone in there! He's bending the vines!"He informed.

With a whirl she delivers the final slice, Katara cuts through the mask on the seaweed monster, the whole top half falling off. However, this does not stop the monster, and vines spring out of the marsh, capturing Katara high on a pillar. Aang air bends over to the monster and, bending a great blast of wind, rips apart the vines leaving the person inside defenseless.

"Why did you call me here if you just wanted to kill us!?" Aang demanded.

The vines drop to reveal a slightly larger man wearing nothing but a leaf loincloth. "Wait! I didn't call you here." he rasied his hands up to show he didn't mean any harm.

Aang shares a look of confusion with the other three, who are also in an offensive stance, "We were flying over and I heard something calling to me, telling me to land." He explained.

"He's the Avatar. Stuff like that happens to us a lot."

"The Avatar? Come with me." The swamp man said.

The four drop their stances and look at each other and followed Huu as he leads the gang to the top of the giant tree Aang noticed earlier.

"So, who are you then?" Katara asked.

Huu bends a vine out of the way to allow easy passage. "I protect the swamp from folks that want to hurt it, like these fellas with his big knife and the other with his firebending."

Sokka finally puts his machete away. "See, completely reasonable. Not a monster, just a regular guy defending his home. Nothing mystical about it."

Huu begged to differ. "Oh the swamp is a mystical place all right. It's sacred. I reached enlightenment right here under the banyan-grove tree. I heard it calling me, just like you did." He explains as as he sits on the tree.

"Sure you did. It seems real chatty." Said Sokka, humoring him.

"See this whole swamp is actually just one tree spread out over miles. Branches spread and sink, take root, and spread some more. One big, living organism. Just like the entire world." He explains and the group looks out at the swamp. The large banyan-grove tree is so vast compared to the others below.

Aang is still skeptical. "I get how the tree is one big thing, but the whole world?" he asks. He like Sokka found it hard to believe that everyone, including those who are of the Four Nations and the animals.

Huu nodded in acknowledgment. "Sure. You think you're any different from me or your friends or this tree? If you listen hard enough, you can hear every living thing breathing together. You can feel everything growing**. We're all living together, even if most folks don't act like it. We all have the same roots and ****we are all branches of the same tree**."

"All life seems to come from a tree of life." Dante added.

The Gang were now sitting as it intrigued them more.

"But what did our visions mean?" Katara asked the big question.

"In the swamp, we see visions of people we've lost, people we loved, folks we think are gone. But the swamp tells us they're not. We're still connected to them. Time is an illusion and so is death."

"But what about my vision? It was someone I had never met." Aang stated as he was still lost.

"You're the Avatar. You tell me." Huu said.

Aang thought for a moment. "Time is an illusion. So, it's someone … I will meet." He said finally understanding. Huu nodded as it has come full circle.

"Sorry to interrupt the lesson, but we still need to find Appa and Momo." Sokka said trying to get back to the issue at hand. Surprisingly the rest almost completely forget.

"I think I know how to find them. Everything is connected." Aang kneels down and places his hand on the tree. Energy travels from Aang's hand to Appa's location. Aang sees Appa being captured by the Foggy Swamp members. "Come on! We've got to hurry!"

Appa is trapped inside a net being dragged through the water while Tho sings. "Set my lines by the river bed! Caught ten fish and I killed 'em dead! Cut 'em and gut 'em and I tossed the heads in the water to keep them catgators fed."

The boats stop when a jet of water appears and destroys the boat next to Tho and Due's. The two people from the destroyed boat fly into the water as Aang appears on a tree branch. He airbends a stream of air, throwing Tho into the water and freeing Momo who was being held by Tho.

Due scoops up a puddle of water and sends it toward Aang Dante and Katara but they push it back. The four become engaged in a waterbending fight, with neither side gaining an advantage.

"Hey, you guys are waterbenders!" Katara realized.

"You too! That means we're kin!" due said happily.

Katara suddenly got a slightly disgusted look on her face. Sokka and Huu run up to the branch where the others were standing are standing on.

Due smiled upon seeing an old friend."Hey Huu! How you been?"

Huu shrugged nonchalantly. "You know, scared some folks, swung some vines, the usual."

"Huu?" Sokka repeated the unusual name for the unusual swamp man.

The gang sat around a fire in the Foggy Swamp Tribe. There is a member waterbending some liquid in a pot to stirs it, and Due grabs a fish from the pot before moving over to the fire. Dante found his Pipa still with the Tribesman and decided to play a way down swampy tune.

"How you like that possum chicken?" Due asked.

"Tastes just like arctic hen. So why were you guys so interested in eating Appa? You've got plenty of those big things wandering around."

"You want me to eat old Slim? He's like a member of the family!"

Due pulls the fish off the branch and gives it to Slim. "Nice Slim!" he said and throws a bug at the catgator; it bounces off his nose and he growls at Sokka, who cowers slightly.

Due laughs. "Oh, he don't eat no bugs! That's people food."

"Where'd you say you was from?" Tho asked

"The South Pole." Katara answered with a smile.

Tho asked his chin. "Didn't know there was waterbenders anywhere but here. They got a nice swamp there, do they?

"No, it's all ice and snow." Said Katara.

Tho blink in disappointment."Hmm. No wonder you left."

"Well, I hope you realize now that nothing strange was going on here. Just a bunch of greasy people living in a swamp." Sokka remind his sister.

"What about the visions?" Katara asked.

"I told you, we were hungry. I'm eating a giant bug!" Sokka then up said giant bug, taking a bit of its abdomen. He swallows it with some difficulty before exhaling sharply, sticking his tongue out. To him food was food and it doesn't matter what it was.

"But what about when the tree showed me where Appa and Momo were?" Aang asked while feeding Momo.

"That's Avatar stuff, that doesn't count." Sokka says before turning to Huu, The only thing I can't figure out is how you made that tornado that sucked us down."

Aang thought that too and wondered if Huu was like Dante. it turns out he wasn't.

"I can't do anything like that. I just bend the water in the plants." Huu answered.

"Well, no accounting for weather. Still, there's absolutely nothing mysterious about the swamp." Sokka finally concluded.

Across the river from the camp. The white screaming bird from earlier lands on a visible tree branch and lets out its horrible cry. A nearby vine rises up and smacks the bird away from it.

If Sokka says tat there is nothing wrong with the swamp then it MUST be true.

The full moon hover high and bright over the Earth Kingdom village where Zuko and Iroh were currently at. The broadsword man is walking down a street alone. He hears something behind him, turns and draws his blades. There was nothing behind him.

"Who's there?" Broadsword man asks in a demanding tone.

He turns the other way when he hears a movement. His wrists which are both grabbed by another person who disarmed him thrown him against some nearby boxes, his swords falling uselessly to the ground. His assailant approaches the swords. He picks them up; the Broadsword man sees before he falls unconscious that his assailant is the Blue Spirit himself.

What was a man's pride can become another man's weapon.


	5. Chapter 5

**Book Two: Earth**

**Chapter Five: Avatar Day and the Mysterious One**

::

::

It is been said that history remembers its heroes and villains equally so that its lessons can be remembered for all time. But some do not remember those who were there who wrote the accounts of both sides. They are easily forgotten, only recalled by the painting they painted or the poetic work they written. Some think it because they were overshadowed by the greats. But sometimes the historian seeks no praise but is content with the recording the story that is unfold before the world's eyes.

Momo discovers the spider in his mouth and inspects it with great interest. When a flies lands on the web, Momo tries to grab it. As he plunges his hand completely in Sokka's mouth, Sokka opens his eyes immediately in surprise Sokka screaming at the top of his lungs. He shoots up and starts to spit out the remains of the spider and its web.

"What are you doing in my mouth?" Sokka shouted angrily. Momo chatters happily while lying upside down on Sokka's belly, chewing on the fly he "rescued" from the spider's web. "Momo, you need to be a little more sensitive to my boundaries."

The lemur seems to notice something else on his left. He completely ignores Sokka's comment and climbs on his face, where he erects himself and pricks up his ears to determine what it is he heard. He chitters loudly, waking up Katara, who was sleeping on a nearby sawed off tree trunk.

Aang, who is still sleeping soundly on Appa's forearm. He wakes up as the ground begins to shake. Kahchi, sitting atop a rhino, jumps out of the thicket. Katara gasps as two more emerge from the bushes on the other side of the camp.

"Give up! You're completely surrounded!" Kahchi shouted.

"Well if it isn't my old friends the Rough Rhinos. How it going guys?" Dante greeted and quickly firebended at them as they surround the campsite.

"We are not here to be chummy, Dante. Surrender your friends!" Mongke demanded.

"Not a chance in hell." Dante said and Firebended at surrounding Rough Rhinos.

Vachir he fires two flaming arrows toward Sokka, who was trying to crawl away like a caterpillar in his sleeping bag, the arrows pin the back of the sleeping bag to the ground while Sokka crawls out. He moves out of the path of a third arrow just in time.

"Come on! Come on! Come on!" Sokka repeated as he crawled to Appa and climbs aboard where Aang's already waiting for him. Katara makes her way toward Appa. But just before she reaches him, she stops in her tracks and turns around.

Kahchi spins his Guan Dao around and plants it in the sawed of tree trunk Katara was sleeping on a bit earlier. Next to the tree trunk lie some of Team Avatar's supplies.

"My scrolls!"Katara shouted.

"My staff!" Aang said shocked at what he forgot and jumps off Appa's head

"My leg!" Dante exclaimed as he was shot in the leg from behind by one of Vachir's flaming arrows.

Aiming for the Guan Dao blade into the stump, right next to a wooden box, Katara charged at Kahchi with a water whip. She freezes the blade solid to the trunk, giving her the opportunity to grab the box of scrolls. She heads back toward Appa just as Kahchi manages to break his weapon free of the ice.

Ogodei, who is swinging his chains around. He throws them around a tree and pulls it down to impede Aang's progress toward his staff. It has no effect, as Aang just somersaults over the fallen tree.

Yeh-Lu, as he ignites one of the hand grenades hanging on his belt. He throws it at Aang, who has reached his staff by now. The explosive lands right beside him, but the fuse is still burning. Aang swirls his staff around and knocks the explosive out of the way and into the woods. Aang propels himself into the air with airbending while the bomb explodes. He lands on Appa's head. He sees Dante still fight the Rough Rhino's until he lashed out with two fire whips swing around and over his head clearing a path big enough for the rest to escape.

"Yip yip!" Aang said and Appa rises from the ground, leaving the Rough Rhinos behind. Dante grapples on to Appa with demonic Ophion and hangs on as he goes flying into sky. Mongke shoots a fire ball at them as they fly over. Katara and Sokka quickly duck and cover their heads, as the fire ball just misses them. As Sokka sticks his head up again, he notices something on the ground.

"Wait my boomerang!" He shouts after.

"There's no time!" Katara _grabs _Sokka's arm.

Annoyed he turns to Katara. "Oh, I see, so there's time to get your scrolls and time to get your staff, but no time for my boomerang?" Sokka asks.

"That's correct!" she answers cheerfully.

"Oh." Bowing his head in defeat by this totally honest answer.

Mongke was not happy that they got away. But now the fact the strider known as Dante was now helping them, the hunt has now gotten trickier.

::

They reached a small village at the edge of a cliff, surrounded by open, green fields. Appa landed nearby a small, wooden house.

"Sorry about your boomerang, Sokka." Aang tried to comfort Sokka who was sulking at the most favorite tool in his arsenal.

"I feel like I've lost part of my identity." He jumps up and moves Aang's hat slightly so that he can point at Aang's arrow. Imagine if you lost your arrow, or Dante lost his white hair or Katara lost her ... hair loopies." Sokka makes a hair loopies gesture with a somewhat bored look.

He slowly saunters over to the stall, where Katara gives him a loving hug in order to comfort him before she held her hands in front of herself while smiling lovely at Sokka.

"Here's your produce, ponytail guy." The merchant says handing him what they bought.

He picks up the basket full of supplies, looking dejected as a sack crap at the nickname. "I used to be boomerang guy ..." he sighs.

Aang and Katara follow Sokka with looks of sympathy as he walks away. The merchant heads toward Katara, who gives him some money. He was surprised, after inspecting the money to find his customer are indeed once in a blue moon. "Hey, Water Tribe money!" he said.

"I hope that's okay." She said.

He clutches the coin happily. "So long as it's money." The merchant closes his shop, while Katara walks over to Aang, who is trying to console a crying Sokka as the camera pans up to show just the merchant's head. "Have a nice Avatar Day!"

"Avatar Day?" Aang suddenly became interested.

"You guys are going to the festival, right?" Merchant asked.

They all look at each other for a moment, trying to figure out what to do. Aang Dante and Katara smile at each other, while tears still run over Sokka's face.

::

In Chin Village festive season was in the air along with green lanterns hanging over the street. The shot tilts down. Aang, Katara, and Sokka are standing in the middle of the busy street, looking around in interest.

"There's a holiday for the Avatar. Who knew?" Aang said excited.

They turn around as a large effigy of Avatar Kyoshi rolls by. "Look! They made a giant Kyoshi float!"

They run to emerge from a side street to see another. "And here comes Avatar Roku!" Sokka points out as it rolls past.

The Main Square that is jam packed with people. The giant float of Kyoshi and Roku are being pulled to the middle.

"Having a huge festival in your honor is great, but frankly, it's just nice to be appreciated." Aang says.

"And it's nice to appreciate their deep-fried festival food!" He takes a huge bite out of the food-item he is holding.

"Well your past lives have saved the world on more than one occasion. You deserve it little bro." Dante ran after them with a spring in his heel.

"Aang, look!" Katara pointed at giant float of Aang coming down the street.

"That's the biggest me I've ever seen!" said Aang impressed out of his shoes.

"They got your likeness down, little bro, you away seem to be grinning like a idiot." Dante commented before seeing two pretty girls walk past causing him to raise an eyebrow with interest. "Excuse me but I'm going to enjoy my new favorite holiday a little more. Hey ladies!" he says and runs after them.

Aang's float pulls up besides that of the other two Avatars on the main square.

"Now a torch, that's a nice prop. It's bright, dangerous ..." Sokka sniffs the air as the man went past_._ "Smells manly. But I'm not sure I could carry it off."

He couldn't and he knew it.

Katara points at the runner. "Hey, what's that guy doing?"

With a loud scream, the runner jumps through the effigy of Kyoshi, causing it to catch fire. The fire spreads rapidly over the whole effigy.

"Down with the Avatar!" as the whole town chanted as they watch as Kyoshi's effigy is consumed by the flames.

The runner sets fire to the Roku effigy next. Aang, Katara, Sokka and Dante, who was hanging the two pretty girls, are in utterly shocked by the turn of events. Sokka's mouth falls open and food drips out.

::

In another town atop a hill more trouble was brewing. Two people are walking down the quiet street; a shadowy figure quickly passes them by on the roof. The Blue Spirit lands in front of the two people and unsheathes his dual dao swords as he jumps at the man carrying two baskets, suspended on a long pole. He swiftly cuts the baskets off in one fluid motion. The terrified man cowers back, as the Blue Spirit moves in to collect his prize. He hangs the baskets over his shoulders and heads for the woman, who is carrying a large piece of fruit on her head. The Blue Spirit snatches the fruit off her head and disappears as swiftly as he had come. The man and woman are left in confusion as to what just happened.

The Blue Spirit is made his way through the thicket. He placed his mask placed in a hollow part at the base of a tree. Unmasked for the moment Zuko peeks around the trunk and sees Iroh sitting in a carven. He looks up when Zuko drops the barrels of food at his feet. "Where did you get these?" Iroh wondered.

"What does it matter where they came from?" Zuko answered angrily while walking away.

Iroh was deep in thought while he took a bite. "Mmmm ... mmmm!" he moans in delight as he took a bite out of one of the cupcakes Zuko brought and found the jam inside to be a very divine flavor. He wonders why everything tastes better when they are stolen.

::

The effigies of the Avatars continue to burn in Chin Village as the chants continue. The mayor signals to the torch-bearer, who is now on the roof, to throw his torch. The torch-bearer grins as he takes aim and throws his torch with a grunt right into the right eye of Aang's float. The crowd cheers in approval, while Aang looks at his own effigy burn with a look of pain on his face, closing his own right eye.

Dante finally returns and stares at the blazing display before him. "Look at me being wrong." Dante said to Aang.

Katara runs to the front and uses her waterbending to extinguish the flames with water from two large pots nearby.

"That party pooper's ruining Avatar Day!" shouted a villager.

Aang looks angrily at the villager. He airbends himself to the top of his own float and lands on the left shoulder of his still smoking effigy.

"That party pooper's my friend!" Aang took off his hat and throws it away to reveal his arrow in his shiny bald head.

The village mayor by the name of Tong was shocked to at who was before him. "It's the Avatar himself!" he shouts.

"It's going to kill us with its awesome Avatar powers!" a village says while wetting his pants in fear.

"No, I'm not, I ..." Aang raises his hand. Several villagers run for cover in fear. The villager that spoke earlier throws himself into the audience. Aang looks at his hand and quickly hides it behind his back.

Crawling back on his feet Tong waves them away with a gesture of his hand. "I suggest you leave! You're not welcome here, Avatar!"

"Why not? Aang helps people." says Katara.

Aang jumps down to confirm it. "It's true! I'm on your side."

"I find that hard to swallow, considering what you did to us in your past life! It was Avatar Kyoshi; she murdered our glorious leader, Chin the Great." Tong explained.

Aang was utterly shocked "You think that I ... murdered someone?" he asked.

"Well you do have one of those faces, always smiling and being polite. It makes people trust you more." Dante commented.

"Not helping." Katara said over her shoulder.

"We used to be a great society before you killed our leader_._ Now look at us!" said a lisping slurring hideous old man.

"Holy crap!" Dante exclaimed getting frightened by what he saw.

Katara places her arms on Aang's shoulders and starts to defend him. "Aang would never do something like that. No Avatar would." Shaking her head in disapproval before pointing an accusing finger at the villagers. "And it's not fair for you all to question his honor!"

"Let's tell her what we all think of the Avatar's "honor"!" A villager shouted.He turns around to shake his rear at Aang and blows a raspberry; the villagers cheer in approval.

"Well fuck you all! He still has his honor regardless." Dante said giving the finger.

Aang decided to settle this once and for all. "Give me a chance to clear my name!"

"The only way to prove your innocence is to stand trial." Tong said.

"I'll gladly stand trial!" Aang answered with boundless confidence.

"You'll have to follow all our rules. That includes paying bail." Tong added.

"No problem." Aang replied thinking it was all simple.

His confident look quickly disappears as he is cuffed with his hands and head stuck in a wooden panel and thrown behind bars. Katara holds her hand before her eyes in shame while Sokka and Dante leans against the prison bars. His arms are crossed and he looks annoyed at Aang.

"That's what they all say." Dante said to Aang.

"How was I supposed to know they wouldn't take Water Tribe money?" Aangapologetically replied back.

"So some people don't like you, big deal! There's a whole nation of firebenders who hate you. Now let's bust you out of here!"

"I can't." Aang said.

Sokka disagreed. "Sure you can! A little *blows air*swish-swish-swish! Airbending slice! And we're on our way!"

Katara looks ashamed for her brother. "I think what "Master Swish" is trying to say is that you're supposed to be out saving the world. You can't do that locked up in here."

"I can't do that with people thinking I'm a murderer either. I need you guys to help prove my innocence." Aang said.

"How're we gonna to do that? The crime happened over three hundred years ago." Sokka asked.

Aang suddenly hatched a cunning plan. "That's okay, Sokka. For some reason, I thought you were an expert detective."

"Well, I guess I could be classified as such." Said contently.

Aang winked at Dante who decided to play along. "REALLY? You are a great detective?" Dante asked with sarcasm masked by fake amazement.

Katara aided Aang by playing Sokka's ego. "Yeah! Back home, he was famous for solving the mystery of the missing seal jerky."

Sokka began to brag on his past triumph. "Everyone wanted to blame it on the polar leopard, but I figured out it was Old Man Jarko wearing polar leopard boots!" Dante looked at Katara who held her hand to her brow, annoyed by Sokka's monologue. He then turned to Aang who is making fun of Sokka, and then back to Katara who holds her hand to her mouth to refrain herself from bursting out in laughter. "See, a real eight hundred-pound polar leopard would have left much deeper tracks." "Okay, I guess I am pretty good."

Dante rolled his eyes thinking that anything is possible.

Sokka pretends to ponder about the question. Katara stares at him, trying to figure out what he is doing. "Fine! But I'm going to need some new props." In no time Sokka is wearing a hat with a monocle. "I'm ready." Katara looks surprised at his new outfit and giggles. Sokka extends his monocle to investigate her. "What?" he asked.

::

Elsewhere in the Earth Kingdom a wagon being pulled by an ostrich horse through the forest. An Earth Kingdom soldier sits in the front, holding the reins a wealthy man inside playing with his chest full of gold pieces. He is thrown to the front when the cart suddenly stops. The man looks around in fear, quickly closing and locking the chest with the precious metal. His scared eyes shift from side to side to as he hears rumbling noises outside. He clutches the chest protectively. The cold sweat is dripping down his face. He sighs in relieve as the noise died down, but he swiftly cowers back in fear as two swords pierce the top of the cart. A fist comes crashing down through the ceiling. When the aghast man looks up, he sees that it were the blades of the Blue Spirit that wrecked his cart. He anxiously holds up his treasury toward the Blue Spirit, while trying to stay away from him as far as possible. The Blue Spirit snatches it out of his hands and disappears, leaving the e shocked man alone in his chart and the unconscious soldier on the ground.

::

Back at Chin Village mayor tong took the other three members of team Avatar to the crime scene at the edge of the tall cliff.

"This is the crime scene." Explains Tong Sokka began to inquisitively inspect it. He moves on to investigate the walls of the shrine, while the mayor is standing at the edge of the cliff, pointing down at something. "This is the footprint of the killer, Kyoshi. It was at sunset, 370 years ago today, that she emerged from the temple, and struck down Chin the Great. After that tragic day, we built this statue to immortalize our great leader. Feel free to appreciate it."

Sokka quickly squats beside the footprint to take a closer look at it. They all look up at a statue of Chin the Great, who has a raised left hand in triumph.

The mayor leaves the three alone to investigate things further. Sokka moves in to examine the statue from every possible angle, while Katara and Dante looks curiously at him. Sokka is investigating the base of the statue, when something catches his attention. He looks through his magnifying monocle in order to take a better look at the right foot of the statue. His eyes widen as he makes a discovery. He swiftly runs over to the shrine that is facing the statue and examines the stone it is made of.

"This temple and this statue were cut from the same stone." He runs back over to the statue." And we know that the statue was built after Chin died.

Katara excitedly drew her conclusions. "So if they were built at the same time, that means–"

Sokka interrupts her before she can reach a conclusion. "Shhh! I wanna solve it! That means Kyoshi never set foot in this temple!" He declared pointing at the temple.

Dante shrugged and decided to applaud for Sokka by do a small amount of Airbending that will create the illusion of an entire crowd clapping. Katara looked at Dante briefly, he rarely did airbending because it usually wasn't his style.

"That's a big hole in the mayor's story, but it's not enough to prove Aang's innocence." Katara said disappointedly.

You're right." Sokka confirmed blowing soap bubbles with his dragon shaped pipe, while thinking about their next course of action. "We need to go to Kyoshi Island."

Katara walks closer, looking at his pipe. "Where did you get that?" she asked.

"It's mine! And if you break it I'm going to burn you balls off. Agreed?" Dante threatened with a molten fist of Eryx brought close to Sokka's face.

"Understood." Sokka agrees simply. Though there was dark spot forming on his pants.

The prison in which Aang is being held was quiet. An elephant rat sniffles his way over to an acorn. He picks it up and jumps away. Aang, still cuffed, leans dispirited against the wall of the prison. A low voice emerges from the shadows at the other side of the prison.

"You got a bald head. Some nice tattoos."

Aang looks up in wonder to see who is talking. Switch to Aang's angle of view. A man was standing in the shadows. The man emerges from the shadows. He has a strong build, earrings in both ears, and his body has a large snake tattoo that covers the top of his chest and down his right arm. He suddenly charges Aang, letting out a load growl. He is stopped in his tracks by the chains around his neck. Aang slides down the wall in fear.

Aang then see another tall, slender young man with pale skin and dark green eyes. He has chin-length, natural black hair with long bangs swept to left, which sometimes obscures his eye. Wears a long, open sleeveless leather coat with the sides tied together by strings, inside pockets, and a sewn-in, corset-like vest in the front. He also wears black pants with a silver chain made up of skulls on the right side of his belt and a fingerless glove on his right hand. V sports many accessories, including a tooth pendant around his neck, silver ring on his left middle finger, and a spiked bracelet that crisscross around his left wrist. Walks toward to Aang with a silver cane and wore black sandals on his feet. He too had his torso and arms covered tattoos that were of a more impressive design.

"What's your name?"Aang asked smiling nervously.

"I have no name; I am but two days old... Just kidding. You can call me "**V**."" the man introduced.

"You're going to fit in real well around here."the man balls his fist.

The blue feathered avian creature landed on V's awaiting arm. "So want are you in for, kid?" Griffon asked.

Aang smiles awkwardly as he prepares for the worst.

::

**Kyoshi Island**

A man in the watchtower signals the approach of Appa by ringing a bell. Appa's shadow passes over Oyaji's house. Oyaji looks up to see a familiar sight. Two laughing, little children pass him on their way to greet Appa and his riders. Appa lands right in front of the large, wooden statue of Kyoshi which is completely rebuilt. When Appa touches the ground, everyone in the village has gathered around to greet them.

Dante looked at all the happy faces below. The last time he was here he was helping Zuko capture Aang. He wondered how the people would receive him after all this time.

They are all clapping as man makes it to the front. He sees Appa and all he can do is squeal and form at the mouth. He gestures toward Appa in wonder, before letting out a load squeal and starts to foam before fainting. Some of the villagers look at him while doing his thing, feeling awkwardly.

"What hell is wrong with people these days?" Dante muttered to Katara.

Koko, who was standing in the front with her hands, raised high, notices that something is off.

"Where's Aangy?" Koko angrily stamping her foot on the ground.

"He couldn't be here, Koko." Katara gently breaks the news to Koko.

"I wanted to see Aangy ..." Koko nagged silently.

The villagers sigh in disappointment. The foaming mouth guy woozily stands up again, staggering a bit. He looks from left to right, wipes the foam of his face and pulls his tunic over his head, before subtly sneaking away. The rest of the villagers do the same with the exception of Oyaji.

"Oyaji! Aang is in jail. The town of Chin says he murdered their leader in a past life." Katara explained.

"They say it was Kyoshi." Sokka added.

Oyaji was shocked to hear this news. "Kyoshi? That's crazy talk! I'll take you to her shrine. Maybe something there will help you clear her name."

The Foursome is walking up a gentle slope. "So, uh ... what's Suki up to? Is she around?" asked with feigned casualness.

"Actually, she and the other warriors left to fight in the war. You kids had a big impact on Suki. She said you inspired her and she wanted to help change the world." Oyaji informed them.

"Oh, well ... that's great." Sokka said in disappointment.

They walk under a large paifang gate toward a temple at the top of a hill. Oyaji lead them inside where they got their fill of Kyoshi's relics.

"This temple was converted into a shrine to Kyoshi. The clerics tell us these relics are still connected to her spirit. That's her kimono."

"She had exquisite taste." Katara approved.

"Please don't touch!" Oyaji pleaded.

Katara quickly lets go of the robe. The possibility that her clothes could turn to dust in an instant remind Katara to be careful.

Sokka picks up one of the fans and waves it back and forth. "These fans ... They were her weapons, no?" he asked with bad inspector accent.

"Also refrain from touching the fans." Oyaji reminded sternly. Human oils can affect old relics badly.

Katara squats beside a really big pair of brown boots. "These were her boots? Her feet must have been enormous!" he commented. Momo peeks out one of them. Katara looks surprised to see him there.

"The biggest of any Avatar." Oyaji said proudly.

"I'll second that." Dante commented. From his personal experience Avatar Kyoshi feet weren't the only thing that was BIG on her. Katara glanced at him due to his claim of being a lover of Kyoshi.

Katara realized something big just then. "Wait a minute ... big feet? Little footprint? There's no way–"

Sokka clears his throat to cut her off. "Special outfit? Hat and pipe? These things mean anything to you?"

"You're right. I'm sorry. Please." Katara sarcastically bows slightly in a mocking gesture.

"Aha! There's no way Kyoshi could have made that footprint. And therefore there is nothing linking her to the crime scene.

"Brilliant, Sokka." Katara rolled her eyes.

Dante walks past Sokka to the painting of village with Kyoshi in the foreground. "So tell me, Holmes, who on the Earth Kingdom's green earth murdered Chin the Great?" he asked which it was the million gold question.

Sokka pondered that question by blowing bubbles out of the dragon pipe.

::

Back in prison of Chin Village. Aang is sitting in a circle with V and three other inmates. Aang discovered that V sometimes visits inmates in place around the world to help rehabilitate them so they can be released back into society. He does this by give them some lesson's in art and literature. Aang explained who he is and why he was here they listened with great interest. Aang to them about his friends and especially Katara which they each have an opinion on that.

"This girl you're talking about? She'll come around. You just gotta hang in there." said the first scary prisoner.

Aang removes his head and hands out of the wooden panel to feel comfortable since it was too big for someone of his size. "You think so?" he asked hopefully.

"Sure." second scary prisoner said.

"Yeah." Third scary prisoner agreed.

"You're a catch." The sensitive ruffian said.

He rests his head on the board. "I don't know ..." Aang says doubtfully.

"Hey! You're smart, handsome, and funny. Not to mention you're the Avatar." The first scary prisoner says.

"But keep in mind, Aang, that if she isn't the one there are others in the world. "_A rose by any other name would smell as sweet_.'." V quoted Shakespeare.

Aang smiling sincerely as he now has confidence for the future. "You guys are great."

"Don't be afraid to tell her how you feel. Said the sensitive ruffian as he dries his tears and sniffs.

::

Meanwhile on Kyoshi Island Oyaji brings Sokka's and Katara's attention to a painting that depicts Kyoshi and some of the villagers."This piece is called "The Birth of Kyoshi". It was painted at sunrise on this day this island was founded. Why, it was today in fact, three hundred and seventy years ago."

Sokka spins around in shock, spitting out some of the bubbles he swallowed. Very surprised as he grabs Oyaji by his collar. "Three hundred and seventy years? Wait, are you sure it was today?"

"Oh, seeing how it's Kyoshi Day, yes, I'm sure." Oyaji pulls himself free from Sokka's grasp and throws him back a little.

Sokka stares at the painting again. "This ceremony didn't take place at sunrise. It took place at sunset.Look at the shadows."

"They point east. So the sun must have been in the west." Katara confirms.

"So what?" Oyaji asks wondering what point he was getting at.

Sokka shoves Katara out of the way. "If Kyoshi was in the ceremony at sunset, she couldn't have been in Chin committing the crime. She has an alibi!"

Katara grabs the pipe out of his hand and slams him hard on the head with it causing him to fall down. Dante takes the pipe from Katara and puts it back into his tunic.

::

The trio returned to Chin Village at night. Dante, Sokka and Katara confront the mayor with their findings, while Aang listens intently at the bars. "Honorable Mayor, we've prepared a solid defense for the Avatar. We did an investigation and found some very strong evidence."

"Evidence? Hmph! That's not how our court system works." Mayor tong dismissed their claim.

"Then how can I prove my innocence?" Aang asked.

"Simple. I say what happened, then you say what happened, and then I decide who's right. That's why we call it justice. Because it's "just us."."

The mayor exits the room, laughing maniacally, leaving Sokka, Katara and Aang standing there with their mouths wide open in shock.

"You want to know why I have problem with authority figures. Well … THERE IT IS!" Dante grumped.

"Care for a second opinion?" said someone who walked out of the shadows. Dante recognized his face as soon as he saw it.

"V?" Dante couldn't believe his younger brother was here.

"Nice to see you too, brother." V greeted.

"You two are brothers?" Katara asked.

Dante sighed as he introduced Team Avatar to V. "Everyone this is my brother: V. V this is Katara, Sokka and Aang the Avatar."

"We met while you guy were gone. He is offering his services as my lawyer." Aang informed the rest.

"I find that hard to believe considering that the mayor is confident that we can't beat system." Sokka said doubtfully.

"He's a fool then."If the fool would persist in his folly he would become wise." You don't have to beat the system with something else; you just have to beat system at its own game.

"Fight fire with fire." Dante agrees.

"So you have a plan as Aang's lawyer?" Katara asked.

"Yes. Everything goes according to plan if you present you case good enough to persuade the court of your innocence. Even if you're guilty."

"But Kyoshi is innocent." Katara said with confidence.

V tapped his silver can and lean over looking her dead in the eye, then at Sokka and Dante before returning his haunting gaze at Katara.

"What if she isn't?" V lean back and walked a few steps to the wall before turning around facing them. "We can't leave anything to chance. Forget what you been taught about the criminal justice system. I'm going to teach you law 101. Or as I like to call it: _**How to get away with murder**_."

Aang gulped nervously as what it may entail.

::

Morning came and court was taken place at the statue of Chin and the temple on the edge of the cliff. Every villager has gathered in the amphitheater. Dante, V, Katara and Sokka sat in the front as the trial began with the honorable Mayor Tong presiding over the court.

"Everyone loved Chin the Great because he was so great. Then the Avatar showed up and killed him, and that's how it happened."

Tong He walks away with a giant smile on his face.

"The accused will now present its argument." The guard beside Aang said in a monotone voice.

Sokka raises his hand before his mouth to say some quiet, encouraging words. "You can do it, Aang. Just remember the evidence."

Still tied up and unsure Aang decided to give it a shot. Under the brief teaching V Aang couldn't not fail in give his defense in court. But there was one problem – Aang never gave a defense in court. So it may actually turn out … unpredictable.

"Right ... evidence. Ladies and gentlemen ... I'm about to tell you what really happened. And I will prove it with facts. Fact number one … Uhhh."

Aang blanks out But Sokka bring his back. "The footprint!"

"Oh, yeah. You see ... I have very large feet. Furthermore ... your temple matches your statue. But ... I was in a painting at sunset. So, there you have it, I'm not guilty."

Aang quickly ends his exposition with a big smile. He looks at the unimpressed crowd, Dante had a blank wide-eyed expression while his dragon pipe while hanged by the grip of his lips.

"What the hell's bathroom was that?" Dante asked V.

V sighed. "Usually people just say 'not guilty.'"

Sokka and Katara, both with big smiles on their faces, but their eyes reveal that they are fake. Sokka gives Aang a "thumbs up" gesture. Momo sits on Katara's lap, looking very confused.

"He's dead." Sokka mumbles to Katara.

::

Back at Zuko's and Iroh's hideout in the forest Iroh inspects a new tea set.

He picks up a big, gold-colored teapot. It was truly beautiful. "Looks like you did some serious shopping. But where did you get the money?" Iroh asked.

Zuko lazily rests against a tree trunk. "Do you like your new teapot?" Zuko asked avoiding the other question.

"To be honest with you, the best tea tastes delicious whether it comes in a porcelain pot or a tin cup." Iroh walks over to Zuko and squats down beside him. "I know we've had some difficult times lately. We've had to struggle just to get by. But it's nothing to be ashamed of. There is a simple honor in poverty." Iroh Places a hand on Zuko's shoulder who closes his eyes as if he was holding something back.

"There's no honor for me without the Avatar." Zuko stated.

Iroh sighs. "Zuko ... Even if you did capture the Avatar, I'm not so sure it would solve our problems. Not now." Iroh's words were iron clad as his generosity. They were in the middle of the Earth Kingdom, who would mostly kill them on sight if they were discovered. And they are running from the Fire Nation who would capture them first before they ask questions later.

"Then there is no hope at all." Zuko said turning away from his uncle.

Zuko wants to stand up and leave the cave, but Iroh grabs him by the shoulders and sits him down. "No, Zuko! You must never give in to despair. Allow yourself to slip down that road and you surrender to your lowest instincts. In the darkest times, hope is something you give yourself. That is the meaning of inner strength."

Zuko turns to face his uncle, who looks back at him with a sad look upon his face. Zuko pulls free from Iroh's grasp and heads out into the forest. He needed time to think before he can go anywhere.

::

Meanwhile back in Chin Village all hell was about to break loose.

"Mayor Tong, I'd like for the court to hear one last testimony." Katara announced to mayor.

"I've already told you, it's just me and the accused. You can't call any witnesses!" Tong reminded her.

"This isn't just any witness. I'm going to call ... Avatar Kyoshi herself!"

The villagers murmur among themselves while someone exits the temple. The guard escorts Aang in Kyoshi costume, to the front.

As Katara sits back down, Sokka and Dante leaned toward her, pointing at Aang.

"What the hell are you doing?" they whispered.

"Well, she is Aang's past life. Maybe wearing her stuff will trigger something." Katara answered hopefully.

"Whatever saves him from the chopping block." Dante gave up and just the supernatural runs its course.

Sokka plays with his magnifying glass on his hat. "I do believe in the power of stuff." He said.

"This is a mockery of Chin Law!" Tong objected.

"Please! If you could just wait one more second, I'm sure Kyoshi will be here!" Pleaded Katara.

Aang who is standing in the middle of the square, hiding his face behind one of Kyoshi's fans. He peeks over the fan. "Hey, everybody! Avatar Kyoshi here." Aang says in a higher pitch. Rapidly blinks his eyes.

"The whole thing just went from sad to bonkers in a few seconds flat." Dante said to V.

Tong walks over to Aang_._ This is ridiculous! For the murder of Chin the Great, this court finds the Avatar–"

Aang looks down in defeat, but is suddenly engulfed in a tornado of earth. Tong holds on to his hat to prevent it from being blown away. The sky darkens and when the tornado dies down, Aang is gone and the spirit of Kyoshi has taken his place.

"One this terrible day, like the sound of a rushing wind, Kyoshi returns to the earth. And with her two feet, taketh possession." V states as Dante watched awe of seeing Kyoshi again.

Avatar Kyoshi gave her testimony, as she did Dante remembers that defining day.

"_I killed Chin the Conqueror. A horrible tyrant, Chin was expanding his army to all corners of the continent."_

_Chin was mighty that he conqueror the all Earth kingdom states, principalities and tribes save for Ba Sing Se. He was now master of all under heaven in the Earth Kingdom. But he had on last enemy to face: the Avatar. She lead an army in defiance was waiting for them. Kyoshi and Dante stood beside her as the Chin arrived. Chin's army stood by the shores of the sea, ready to attack when given the order._

"_When they came to the neck of the peninsula where we lived, he demanded our immediate surrender." __Kyoshi calmly walks toward him to face his challenge.__ "I warned him that I would not sit passively while he took our home. But he did not back down."_

_Dante's pony tail flowed in the breeze as he reached behind and grabbed the hilt of Rebellion, but Kyoshi placed her hand on his shoulder, letting him know that she would handle this alone. Kyoshi walked over until stand face to face with Chin. Kyoshi is around a foot bigger than him. Chin takes a fighting stance, but Kyoshi is unimpressed. She grabs one of her fans and points it at him. A powerful gust of wind washes over the surprised Chin and strips him of all his clothes, except for his underwear. His defiance reminded her old earthbending proverb: As powerful as the wind blows the mountains will not bow._

_Earthbenders push themselves to outlast the enemy, to withstand all the aggression without retreat. They believe that if the enemy could not match their endurance, and then a battle could be won without having even commenced._

"_On that day, we split from the mainland."_

_Avatar Kyoshi as her eyes glow for a second, signaling the Avatar State. She jumps up and stretches one of her fans to the left as she lands. A powerful fissure rips through the earth and explodes at the edge of the cliff. She repeats that move to the right now with the same effect. Kyoshi calmly closes her fans and slams them into the ground, causing the whole peninsula to shake. Chin still stands in his earthbending stance._

_Kyoshi made a large crack in the earth. With a series of wide arm movements, she bends the lava up from underneath the landmass to sever it completely. As the wall of lava dies down again, chunks of rock fall to the ground. Kyoshi spins around and creates a powerful gale right beside Chin, blowing part of his army away and making the rest run away in fear. The island is was blown away from the mainland. Chin holds on to his hat as he watches the island go. He screams in anger while the rocks under him start to cave and he plummets to his death in the waters below._

_Once island was safe a great peace came to it inhabitants like never before. Dante walked the cliff overlooking the sea. There he found Kyoshi sitting on rock. She turned to his as he seated beside her. They kissed before fell onto the grass in a loving embrace and fiery passion. He stayed near her until the end of her days._

"_I created Kyoshi Island so my people could be safe from invaders."_

With her final testimony Kyoshi _closes_ her eyes and is engulfed by the sand tornado once more. Tong kneels to the ground and covers his head. While the sandstorm keeps spinning around Kyoshi, the darkness is lifted. Sokka holds Katara protectively in his arms while she clings on to Momo. When the tornado disappears, Aang is standing there once again, swaying from side to side. Katara catches him right before he collapses.

"So, what just happened?" Aang asked confused on being out of it.

"Uhhh ... you kind of confessed. Sorry." Katara informs him.

Tong gets up and brushes himself off. "And I find you ... Guilty! Bring out the Wheel of Punishment!"

The villagers break out into cheers as they hear the sentence. Momo looks around, before covering up his eyes with his tail.

::

Back in their hideout Zuko returns to find Iroh looks over the supplies.

"Uncle ... I thought a lot about what you said."

"You did? Good, good."Iroh's sad expression clears up as he hears Zuko talk.

"It's helped me realize something. We no longer have anything to gain by traveling together. I need to find my own way." Iroh's brightened expression quickly disappears again.

Iroh bows his head in sorrow. Zuko looks at his uncle for a moment before grabbing his backpack and walking away.

"Wait!" Iroh calls after him.

Iroh hands Zuko the reins of the ostrich horse. Zuko mounts it, looks at his uncle one last time and heads off, leaving a broken Iroh. Even Iroh had to do the same a long time ago.

::

Back in Chin Village hell was just a mere two steps away.

"The accused will now spin the Wheel of Punishment to determine his sentence." The guard replied.

Aang turns to looks at Sokka and Katara who are giving him glances of sympathy. "I said I would face justice, so I will." He gives a good spin on the wheel.

"Come on, torture machine! Eaten by bears! Razor pit!" the Villagers shouted.

"Community service! Please stop on community service!" Katara pleaded.

Sokka and Katara look very worried as the wheel starts to slow down. It passes by "strangled by a platypus bear" and "eaten by sharks." Aang anxiously awaits his punishment. The wheel comes to a halt.

"Looks like it's "boiled in oil."." The guard announces.

The villagers cheer loudly, while Aang looks scared and Katara and Sokka who are just absolutely shocked.

Dante shook his head. These peaceful people were as bloodthirsty as Chin himself. To condemn a kid to boiled in hot oil alive.

"This is crazy." Dante said as he was about to see his friend get executed in a very messy manner.

"Aang is blameless in his generation before of his heart. And if he's is to pay the debt that has been long overdue. He will pay it with an unyielding heart." V answered him.

"Is that's suppose to me feel better." Dante asked causing V to shrug.

Suddenly a lit bomb bounces into the scene and detonates into the temple. The blast makes the whole amphitheater shake. Sokka and Katara raise their arms to protect their faces from the blast.

We've come to claim this village for the Fire Lord! Now show me your leader so I may ... "Kahchi swings his Guan Dao back and forth, slicing through the statue of Chin the Great. While it crumbles down, Mongke continues with a grin. "Dethrone him!"

"That's him over there!" the villager point toward the mayor. Tong freaks and runs behind the wheel.

"You, Avatar, do something!" Tong pleaded.

"Gee, I'd love to help, but I'm supposed to be boiled in oil." Aang replies apathetically.

The mayor tips the wheel one slot further. It now rests on a picture of a sweeping man. "There, community service! Now serve our community and get rid of those rhinos!"

Aang smiles as he rushes forward and jumps out of his Kyoshi costume to face Kahchi, who readies his weapon. A he charges Aang, Aang opens his fans. He quickly spins out of the rhino's path and uses his airbending to lift Kahchi out of his saddle and blows him off the cliff with another gust.

Kahchi's rhino still proceeds toward the mayor, who peeping over the wheel and quickly hides behind it as he sees the rhino coming toward him. He squeaks in fear when the rhino's horns embedded themselves into the wheel, missing the mayor's vital part by inches.

Aang turns to face Mongke who does not look pleased with the defeat of Kahchi.

"Rough Rhinos, to the town!" Mongke ordered.

Vachir shoots three burning arrows at the down setting fire to the roof of a nearby building. Mongke uses his firebending to burn down another house. Lit arrows keep raining down on the rooftops. Yeh-Lu rides by a hay wagon and drops some lit bombs in it. The wagon explodes, destroying the house next to it. Ogodei rides past another house and pulls down its support beams with his chains.

He saw Katara and throws them at her who easily deflects them with a water whip. The chains wind themselves around Ogodei. She hits the rhino on the rear with another whip of her water and the animal dashes away with Ogodei on it.

Sokka comes down a stair between two members of the Rough Rhinos. He adjusts his monocle so it would reflect the sunlight right into the eyes of Vachir. The archer turns and blindly shoots a burning arrow at Sokka. The arrow pierces his hat and embeds itself in the saddlebag of Yeh-Lu that is filled with bombs. Sokka smiles and ducks for cover. Yeh-Lu notices what is going on and tosses the saddlebag away, but it is too late. The force of the blast smacks him and his rhino into a nearby wall. As Sokka covers his head to protect himself against the flying debris, Yeh-Lu's helmet rolls by. Another bag lands right beside Sokka, his boomerang is sticking out of it.

"Boomerang! You do always come back!" Sokka exclaims.

Sokka notices that Vachir is aiming at him. He quickly weighs his options and throws his dragon-shaped pipe at the archer. The pipe slides over the burning arrow and extinguishes the fire. While Vachir looks surprised at his extinguished arrow, V sends his familiar Griffon to attack Vachir face while Katara sneaks up behind him and cuts his saddle cord with her waterbending. Vachir slides down, but his foot is still stuck in his saddle, so he is dragged away by his rhino when Katara whips it on its rear.

Switch to Aang who is having a standoff with Mongke in an alley. Mongke uses his firebending to increase his speed as he charges Aang. Aang jumps over him and is forced to raise an air shield to protect himself from Mongke's fire blast. He loses his fans and headdress as he slides down. Aang creates an air scooter and they charge each other again. He avoids Mongke's fire blast by quickly riding under the rhino's belly and emerges behind Mongke. He directs a powerful gale at the colonel, but he slides to the side to evade it. They charge at each other a third time, this time with Aang on foot again. When Mongke fires a powerful blast that consumes the whole alley, Aang jumps up and propels himself right through the blast using airbending, feet first. He crashes right into Mongke, sending him flying through a wooden fence.

Mongke opened his eyes to see the Dark Hunter standing over. Dante then knelt down and grabbed him by collar.

"Bad boys, bad boys. What cha going to do when they come for you?" Dante asked mockingly before he knocked him out with a good punch to the face.

Later that night, fireworks go off in the village. The people of Chin had a new holiday to celebrate about.

"From now on, we'll celebrate a new Avatar Day in honor of the day Avatar Aang saved us from the Rough Rhino Invasion." Tong declared to the villagers. Behind him was Katara, Aang, and Sokka, each holding a bowl and grinning happily.

The four were grateful to accept a new member to Team Avatar, V and his assort 'pets' that would pop from time to time. V declared that the road to the Fire Lord will be paved by the wisdom he offers to Aang. Enjoying the party the furious five looked at the snack in their bowl.

"What is this?" Sokka asked.

"That's our new festival food! Un-fried dough. May we eat it and be reminded of how on this day the Avatar was not boiled in oil." Tong said proudly.

"This stuff looks like they did get BOILED in hot oil." Dante commented.

V adds with a quote.

Chin Village was a weird place indeed. Found by a tyrant and lived their lives without know the whole story. They accepted a new and fairer system of law that day. One that would help the accused have a decent chance of winning their case the court without problem. The only legal way to get away with any crime, including murder, is to go to court and beat them at their own game.

"One thought, fills immensity." So it is written, so it shall be done." V said and drop the dough dookie in his mouth.

"It's a dough and a cookie – DOOKIE! HAHAHA!" Griffon sat on V's shoulder laughed himself silly and stuck his head into the bowl to stuff his face.

The villagers cheer, but the gang gives each other some uncertain looks. They each pick up a dough cookie as it droops in their fingers.

"Happy Avatar Day, everyone!" Katara smiles.

She chews it down and looks down at her bowl, confused of what to make of it Aang also sticks a cookie in his mouth, although half of it is still dangling out of his mouth. Dante chews his cookie mush while tapping his foot trying to process the food in his mouth and his brain.Aang slurps the rest of his cookie inside his mouth like a squid.

"This is by far the worst town we've ever been to." Sokka said skeptically Sokka finally eats his and stares skeptically again at the next cookie.

With the help of Appa Dante returned to Kyoshi Island to return the clothing and fans to the shrine. He stood looking at her kimono before he turned to leave.

"Dante?"

Dante stopped and turned around to see the spirit of Kyoshi without her battle gear and warpaint standing at the top of the steps in her normal everyday robes.

"Thanks for helping Aang. Kyoshi." Dante thanked.

Kyoshi smiled. "No problem. Anything for a friend."

The two walked along a moonlight path in the woods. They stopped at a small road side shrine.

"I believe it is time." Kyoshi said.

Dante walked over to the stone and place his hand on the stone to channel his chi into the stone. Hidden symbols began to glow red as the stone rose from the ground to reveal a hollow compartment underneath. He reached inside through the spider webs and pulled out a cloth and unwrapped it find a katana. A katana he made with his own two hands on Kyoshi Island.

"Old, but a work of art." Kyoshi commented.

Dante slowly removed the scabbard revealing the sharp blade, which cast a red glow on his face, it greeted its master. For it has the same courage of it master. Dante and Kyoshi returned to the shine and sat on the steps and enjoy the full moon in nocturnal serenity while it lasted.

Some say there are no such thing is innocence, only various degrees of guilt. But sometimes a man can be guilty of innocence in a court of law when he heart, his mind and actions prove it. Avatar indeed proved to be an example of that today.

::

**If you guys have stuck around this far then you ALL GET A RUBBER COOKIE!**

**I wondered how V would be in the DmC Devil May Cry. So I made him in this the youngest brother of Dante and Vergil.**

**Think of Vergil, Dante and V Sparda like the Axel, Sue and Brick Heck from the show The Middle. Vergil and Axel seek greatness. Dante and Sue are enduring and V and Brick read books.**

**Review or Rant! I need some amount of feedback.**

**Invader Zim: Do it or I will send you to a realm of PUUURRRE DOOKIE!**


	6. Chapter 6

**Book Two: Earth**

**Chapter 6: The Blind Bandit**

::

::

**THEN**

In the woodland area of the Earth kingdom the fire tanks traveled on the road to the next town that that chosen to be forward base for this region. The town was one of the major hubs for goods and services to come and good throughout the Middle kingdom. The Earth forces have reinforced this town with men and put up defensive towers and wall around the town.

The tanks hid among the road and waited for the word from their commander. Four small regulars and one large one that's as dangerous as the name suggests it. The Sabertooth Tiger. Sabertooth is a legendary war machine. The most powerful earthbending and Icy waterbending can barely scratch the thick steel skin.

The crew of this machine was unique as well, handpicked by the Dante to see if they can make enemy fear the Sabertooth Tiger in this metal form. The first only son of famed General Iroh, Lu'ten. He was the driver. Lu'ten was sat on the outside of the tank taking a break. He looked out at the town knowing that this was simply one stepping stone in the campaign his father planned. "One step at a time, it'll all be over soon." he sighed.

Dante walked to the over the tank with a new addition to the crew. Tobi was a youthful young man was wished along to fight for the honor and glory of the Fire Nation. But he still had a lot to learn.

"Lu'ten!" Dante called to get his attention.

"Tell me we have supplies and a new navigation guy." Lu'ten asked. He really didn't want to go charging into the front again without being sure they will survive it.

Dante rolled his eyes. "I could, but that'd be a lie, Lu'ten. And I don't tell lies unless I have to. You know that." Dante placed the map of the front of the tank and studied it to see want route they were on before beginning the attack.

"That's very noble of you, Commander." Lu'ten praised sarcastically.

Dante exhaled upon hearing his temporary rank for the campaign. He gave an smirk to Lu'ten. "Well, Commanders don't have the luxury of saying any old shit that comes into their heads like drivers do. Tobi!"

"Yes, Commander" Tobi snapped to attention.

"To your position." Dante ordered.

Tobi bowed and got inside. "Does he have to follow you everywhere like a lost pup?" Lu'ten asked.

"He's just a kid." Dante replied.

"So you gave him the party line." Lu'ten asked.

Dante closed the map and handled it to Lu'ten. He was annoyed by it, but something's works because it was designed to work. And he really doesn't care either way. Dante was only here for the money. Top get the money he has to get people to work together as a team. "I like remind him who we are, Lu'ten."

Inside Tobi was getting settle in his new role as turret operator. But he was nervous and he repeated over and over: "Trust Strength, trust the Fire Nation. Trust Strength, trust the Fire Nation."

Sudden clang caused Tobi to turn his head to see a skinny timid guy, Hozan, trembling as he picked up the metal can that contain the flammable fuel to keep the tank going. Hozan looked up as he was at the feet of another member of the tank crew. The giant merc was silent sort and only spoke when he had to. He had a strange tattoo on his forehead at seem to be a focus for an advanced form of Firebending. The Dante hired him for the results were very … combustible.

"Lu'ten, let's go!" Dante gave the order.

Lu'ten cranked the switch and started the engine. With a few twists and crank pulls the Sabertooth roared to life and was on the move. The other four tanks took notice as followed.

The reason why this tank was deployed now because they wish to see if the prototype will give the birth to a new type of the war machine for the Fire Nation.

"Remember guys, do not desert. We are stronger together." Dante remind them as they begin to clear the tree line and in top the sunlight.

The Earth solider standing in a watch tower saw the advancement of Fire Nation tanks and sounds the alarm. "To arms! Fire Nation Tanks approaching! To arms."

The Earth captain in charge of the fortification. Whistles and the troops raced in formation to the walls while the Earthbending troops entered the trenches outside the wall. They were to ready for them.

Dante looked through the spyglass at the bulwark. He sees the spirit of the Earth Soldiers was strong. He's just going to show that the crew of the fire panzers was just as strong to meet challenge ahead.

Hozan loaded the first shell round in to the turret and Tobi took aim. Dante lowered his spyglass inhaled and exhaled softly.

"FIRE!"

::

**NOW**

**GAOLING**

One of the wealthiest towns due to its trading and cultural hotspots. The town citizens move through the streets with the various concerns to keep this place alive and working. The team stands inside a shop, gathered around a green bag. Sokka is looking at the bag while pondering. Katara and Momo on her shoulder look at him. Aang sits down, looking the other way and wearing his conical hat. V was spinning his cane by the handle while reading his book Dante leaned against the wall playing on his pipa: _Carry On My Wayward Son_.

"It's pricey ... but I really do like it." Sokka said pensive.

"Then you should get it, you deserve something nice." Katara encouraged her brother.

"I do, don't I? But no, it's too expensive. I shouldn't." Sokka decided.

Katara looks at him with a bored expression. "All right, then don't." Katara walks away in boredom. Aang gets up and follows her followed by Dante and V. Sokka pauses for a moment and goes along, too, his eyes still on the bag. He came back and decided to buy it with a big smile.

Aang, Katara, and Momo wait down the street until a town citizen with the flyers turns around and shows them his advertisement. "Psst, psst! Hey, you kids love earthbending? You like ... throwing rocks? Then check out Master Yu's Earthbending Academy."

"Look! There's a coupon on the back! The first lesson is free." Aang excitedly.

"Who knows? This Master Yu could be the earthbending teacher you've been looking for." Katara said thinking he should give it a go.

""He who desires but acts not, breeds pestilence." So it is written." V closes his book and puts it at away in his pouch.

Sokka joins them, holding the green bag. He looks wondering at the flyer. At Yu's academy Aang is perplexed while wearing an Earth Kingdom outfit and a green hat. He puts his finger into his ear, wiggles it and sniffs his finger. Turning to his right, he sees that all the younger children with whom he is standing in line with sport a serious expression and he promptly straightens his back. Their teacher, Master Yu, moves toward his two opposing rows of pupils. The row opposite of Aang has rocks placed in front of them.

His students take their fighting stances, except for Aang. Take your stances! Now, strike as if you're punching through your opponent's head! Commanded Master Yu.

Yu demonstrates the movement he means. The pupils lift their rocks. Aang's startled expression was priceless. The student that stands across Aang as he fires his rock at him. Aang gets hit by the rock in the gut and smashes into a vase in the shape of a tea pot by the impact of the blow.

Master Yu approaches Aang, "So, are you ready to commit to more lessons? If you pay for the whole year in advance, I'll bump you up to the next belt!"

Aang stares at him, covered in sand and shards. Only his eyes, nose and right hand are visible. The sand shifts and covers his face completely. Moments later, Aang walks out of the academy with the other students and returns to Katara and Sokka.

One student leaves the Earthbending Academy, accompanied by another student. "I think The Boulder's going to win back the belt at Earth Rumble VI." Said the first student.

"He's going to have to fight his way through the best earthbenders in the world to get a shot at the champ." Added the second student.

Aang overhears their conversation and runs after them. "Excuse me, but where is this earthbending tournament, exactly?"

"It's on the island of Noneya ... "Noneya" business!" the student replied sarcastically.

"Come on, you little bastards, he asked simple question."Dante said.

The students laugh and walk away as he looks on disappointed. Sokka walks up to Aang laughing while Katara glares at them while walking up.

Sokka Laughs and wipes tears of laughter away. "Oh, I got to remember that one!"

"I'll take care of this." Katara consoled to Aang before running after the students around a corner.. "Hey, strong guys! Wait up!"

Looking at his bag, holding it out. "What was I thinking? I don't need a new bag! Why did you let me buy this?"

He puts the bag down and crosses his arms in front of his chest. Momo hops off his shoulder, into the bag. He turns around inside of it and settles down, closing his eyes. Katara comes running back with good news.

"You ready to find an earthbending teacher? Because we're going to Earth Rumble VI!" Katara how'd you get them to tell you?

"How'd you get them to tell you?" Aang asked surprised.

"Oh ... a girl has her ways." Katara smiles.

V leaning out and looks down the alley and sees the two students frozen together at the head, encased in ice in an alley.

::

**Nightfall.**

The entrance to location of Earth Rumble VI was tunnel in a rock face lightened brightly. People enter the tunnel. The hall where the competition will be held was a large rectangular arena is located in the middle. With green glowing crystal the arena has stairs running down to a lower, oval shaped area. Seats for the spectators start at the same level as the arena. Team Avatar walks into an empty row of seats. "Hey, front row seats! I wonder why no one else is sitting here."

They sit down but quickly jump back up as a huge rock smashes into the seats next to them.

"I guess that's why!" Sokka almost craps his pants.

In the center of the ring, the event's host raises an earthen platform. He brings it back to the level of the rest of the arena. "Welcome to Earth Rumble VI! I am your host, Xin Fu!"

"This is just going to be a bunch of guys chucking rocks at each other, isn't it?"

"That's what I paid for." Sokka smiles happily.

"The rules are simple. Just knock the other guy out of the ring, and you win! Xin Fu leaps up to a podium above the ring.

"This better be a good show." Dante waits impatiently.

A bell rings. Xin Fu announces the first line up. "ROUND ONE: THE BOULDER VS. THE BIG BAD HIPPO!"

The Boulder raises his arms and turns around to the cheering of the audience. The Hippo roars.

"Listen up, Hippo. You may be big, but you ain't bad!" The Boulder grinned insanely. The Boulder's gonna win this in a landslide!"

"Hippo ... mad!" The Hippo said.

"The Boulder seems to be talking in the third person." V commented.

"The Big Bad Hippo seems to be as smart as the he tramples on." Dante added.

The Hippo raises his arms in anger and stomps one foot. Momo lowers himself more inside Sokka's bag out of fear. The Boulder fires three rocks. They crash into The Hippo, but he does not move. He catches one piece of rock with his mouth, chews on it and spits it out. The Hippo jumps up and down, causing the surface of the arena to tilt. The Boulder hereby loses his balance.

"Unbelievable, ladies and gentlemen! The Hippo is rocking the boat!" Xin Fu doing the play-by-play.

The Boulder reaches the edge, but saves himself by bending out part of the ring into a small platform. He grabs it and throws it at his opponent, hitting him on the back. As The Hippo turns around to look at him, The Boulder bends up The Hippo's part of the ring, and throws him out on it. The Hippo crashes in the lower area of around the arena. The fight ends with the boulder on top.

"The Boulder wins!" Xin Fu announces.

"How about The Boulder? He's got some good moves." Katara asked Aang.

Aang shrugs. "I don't know. Bumi said I need a teacher who listens to the earth. He's just listening to his big muscles. What do you think, Sokka?"

Sokka cheers loudly. He was in the moment.

Xin Fu announces round two. "Next match ... The Boulder versus Fire Nation Man!"

Far off side-shot as the crowd boos at the Fire Nation Man who is makes his way over to the arena, still waving his flag, on a makeshift earthen bridge, which crumbles away behind him. Sokka, who loudly boos the fighter as well, while giving him a thumbs down.

"Please, to rise for Fire Nation national anthem! "Put his left hand over his heart; begins to sing by Drops to his right knee and stretches out his left arm." Fire Lord, my flame burns for thee!"

The crowd boos at him again while bombarding him with pieces of rock, much to his surprise. Cut to Sokka with a stone cocked back in his hand, ready to throw. "Go back to the Fire Nation!"

Sokka throws his rock. Fire Nation Man, who is hit against the head by the rock, starts to become angry, though the emotion quickly changes to wonder and he is sunk chest-deep into the ground; he drops his flag in the process. The Boulder as the culprit, who subsequently raises himself high into the air on an earth pillar. The Fire Nation Man, who looks petrified."No, no, please!" he begged.

The Boulder grinning broadly. He leaps in the air, his face serious. The Boulder is plummeting straight down, his feet held back behind his back as to direct his knees to the ground. Switch to a further off shot as he slams the surface of the ring, by which he creates a pillar under Fire Nation Man that catapults him out of the ground. The Fire Nation Man as he sails screaming through the air. Cut to a frontal shot of the place where Team Avatar is sitting. The Fire Nation Man smacks upside down and face first against the large boulder that was embedded into the stand next to team Avatar. Sokka gets up and waves both hands in the air in celebration of the Fire Nation Man's defeat, while shouting in the fighter's direction."Yeah! Wooo! The Boulder knows how to put the hurt in the dirt! Yeah! Woohoo!"

The fights continue with a man riding a badgermole is going over the surface to make it smooth again, letting the animal bend all the rubble away. A turning, frog-view shot reveals the ceiling and a female assistant holding up a sign to announce the next round as a bell is struck. Dante gives his appreciation of the assistant by giving her a loud wolf whistle.

The Boulder defeating several more fighters: The Gopher gets slammed between two rocks, The Gecko jumps up, but gets hit in the stomach by a broad earthen pillar, Headhunter gets hit with an earthen coin. Between his victories, The Boulder entertains the cheering crowd by wobbling his chest. As The Boulder relishes from his fans' praise.

Xin Fu standing on his platform. Now was time for the main event. The light slowly dims to put him in the spotlight.

"Now, the moment you've all been waiting for. The Boulder versus your champion ... the Blind Bandit!"

The girl, with a black hair mostly obscure her face raises her championship belt above her head, under loud cheering of the crowd. She was a short kid, barely reaching to the waists of the female assistants standing next to her, who were amazons in height. As the spotlight dies down, the girl offers her championship belt to the assistant on her right, while the other one removes her cape and they both walk off.

"She can't really be blind. It's just part of her character, right?" Katara asked a little concerned.

"I think she is." Aang answered. The girl was very still as if she was listening to every single sound around her. Her milky-green eyes stare constantly in the direction of her opponent, but not virtually.

"I think she is ... GOING DOWN!" Sokka shouted.

"You want to bet?" Dante offered.

"All the gold I got in my pocket." Sokka said.

"You're on." Dante said and the two shook hands on the deal.

The Boulder confidently puts his foot down, cracking the floor in the process and throwing up some dust.

"The Boulder feels conflicted about fighting a young blind girl." said The Boulder.

The girl points at The Boulder, mockingly. "Sounds to me like you're scared, Boulder!" the girl Goes into a mockingly scared position.

The Boulder is stunned for a moment. "The Boulder's over his conflicted feelings, and now he's ready to bury you screen in a ROCK-ALANCHE!"

"Whenever you're ready, The Pebble!" the girl throws her head back and laughs.

Aang, where he saw the girl in white and the flying boar. He remembers her laugh, which is the same as that of the Bandit. And at some point of him chasing after her he caught a brief glimpse the girl face which is the face of the Bandit's. Aang is stunned by this revelation. He needs to be a hundred percent sure that she is the one.

"It's on!" The boulder shouted. The first move was his and he was going to take it.

Despite his bravado, he is sweating profusely. He breathed in and out sharply which the Blind Bandit could hear easily. The Boulder, who yells and takes a step forward. As his heel hits the ground, shockwaves move out from his heel where it has struck the floor of the arena. The Bandit standing perfectly still. The shock waves reach her and travel up her body.

She moves forward, opening her arms as soon as she registers the shock wave indicating the movement of her opponent. Her feet as she moves forward to finish the set up for her attack

The Boulder is bellowing as his foot strikes the ground again. Bandit swings her right foot in an arc toward the ground in front of her. She strikes it creates a shock wave in the arena floor that churns up the ground in the direction of the Boulder in a straight line.

Boulder whose foot meets the shock wave just as he puts it back on the ground. The shock wave makes him drop down onto the ground in a perfect split.

Momo squeaks and Sokka's look of adulation and excitement turns to a look of pain.

"OOOOOH!" The Boulder uttered through the pain.

The Bandit who makes a chopping motion with her right hand. Three stalagmites erupt from the ground near The Boulder and eject him from the ring. He slams into the wall beneath the stands and slides down into the crevice between the arena and the stands.

Bandit's face, which softens into a crafty and satisfied smile. She wins.

"Your winner, and still the champion, the Blind Bandit!" Xin Fu declares.

Sokka cries as Dante smiles in triumph. At first he though the girl was going to get pulverized by The Boulder. But seeing her defeating The Boulder in under a few seconds was money well earned..

"How did she do that?" Katara asked amazed like she didn't know what.

"She waited ... and listened." Aang replied simply. He now has his answer.

Xin Fu jumps down and lands next to bandit and holds a green bag in his left hand. "To make things a little more interesting, I'm offering up this sack of gold pieces to anyone who can defeat the Blind Bandit!"

The entire arena was a Silent as the grave.

"What? No one dares to face her?" Xin Fu asks the people in the stands.

"We will." Aang said as he companied by Dante and V.

The crowd murmurs its approval. The Fearer Threesome closes the distance between themselves and the Bandit. Xin Fu jumps out of the Arena. Three on one, the one being the champion, this was going to be a short fight indeed.

"Go Aang, Dante and V! Avenge The Boulder!" Sokka shouted.

"Do people really want to see a cripple, an old guy and _two_ little girls fighting out here?" the bandit mocked them.

The audience 'Oooh' at the insult.

Aang puts his hands up in a conciliatory gesture. "I don't really want to fight you. I want to talk to you."

"Boo! No talking!" Sokka jeered.

"Don't boo at him!" Katara turns to her brother with a look of disapproval look and slaps him.

"Step aside, Aang. If you're just going to talk then you will be last in our three man tag-team." Dante took one step forward.

"Three man tag-team?" Aang asked.

"I'll go first." Dante said.

V claps his hands sarcastically, congratulating his brother on getting killed first.

"_**ONE ROUND: FIGHT!**_" Xin Fu announced.

To kick it off Dante closed the distance between him and the Bandit by moving the part of the floor he was standing on. He slid towards her with his arms raised two chucks of earth he as he was going to attack her head-on. The Bandit could feel him coming but had little time to respond the way she wanted. She manages to create a defensive wall. For an earthbender he was faster that her.

She pummeled the wall with her fists sending out darts of rock toward her opponent. He stopped and blocks them with his own rock wall only to have part of it jet out in a perfect cylinder and hit his face and chest. Stubble backwards he flipped horizontally to avoid the two disks she made from the wall from crushing him between them. He rolled and got to his feet in quick succession to run away from the rolling dicks of death.

"Rock and roll!" The Bandit said a grin.

Dante ran away from one disk and saw the other coming straight for him in the opposite direction. He jumped up and over and landed behind the disk. He twists his hands and the one of the disks rose and with a push he sent it back to the Bandit.

She sensed his movements and dropped backwards allowing the disk the pass over her. Dante thought he got her as she was nowhere to be seen.

"Shit!" Dante cursed as the Bandit grabbed his ankles and pulled him down underneath the floor.

Aang gasped as the two burst back out the floor from behind and soared over Aang's head locked in a close courters combat. The landed and rolled before he threw punches at her which she either blocked with her forearm or used her own fist against his bear knuckled.

Finally the two were locked on in a deadlock as their hands gripped the other. "For an earthbender as, you actually fun to fight!" The bandit complemented Dante.

"You haven't seen anything yet!" Dante said.

"Not that I will." she said ironically.

The Bandit lifted her both feet and stomped the ground causing two pillars to come up and hit Dante in both elbows. He clenched his teeth as she kicked him backwards sending him slide on the floor back to Aang and V.

They leaned over and looked at him as he looked straight up.

Aang cringed at the sight of his forearms bending in the opposite direction. "Are they broken?" Aang asked.

"No … I'm double jointed." Dante reassured him and sat up and popped both forearms back in the right direction.

"Shall I go next? Unless Aang wishes to go." said V.

"Um no thanks I'll go after you if that's okay." said Aang.

"Not at all." said V and twirled his cane and planted it in the ground.

V walked up the Blind Bandit and greeted her with a one hand over a fist and a bow. She shrugged.

"Please" he said wishing her to accepted his offer to dual.

"If you say so." She replied.

V took a fighting stance, turning his feet to the left; he walked while sliding his feet on the floor with each stride. He circled a quarter of the way before striking. The bandit shifted the floor under his feet. v reacted by leaping in the air and with a twist of his wrist he trapped the Bandits feet. Surprised, she broke free and punched a boulder at him which he elbows it and reducing it to dust. He then bended the sand in to storm that moved on the ground and over took her. She yelled as she rolled on the ground and was spun around by the dust storm.

V the release her and she fell to the ground so hard she made a small crater on impact. Katara put her hands over her mouth as she thought the Bandit was dead.

"She's not dead but asleep. Arise – OOF!"

V dropped to his knees cupping his crotch in pain. The Blind Bandit lifted her head with a satisfied grin.

"I give, I give." V slapped his hand on the ground.

Dante walked over and dragged V out of there.

"Somebody call the medic." Griffon as he shuffled his feathers around. Katara still wondered why this bird has the ability to speak.

"Boy! You're up." Dante tossed.

Aang gulped and stepped forward. He was pacifist by nature, but he will defend himself. The only defense here is a good friend talk.

Aang's he takes one step and the Bandit smiles as soon as his foot hits the ground. She stomps the ground with the side of her left foot. A shock wave travels across the ground and causes a large rock to grow out of the ground underneath Aang, who is launched into the air. He just disappeared into thin air … and lands softly on the ground behind her.

She turns around with an upset expression on her face. "Somebody's a little light on his feet! What's your fighting name: the Fancy Dancer?" Aang grins sheepishly before The Bandit launches another pillar, which lifts him up.

"Where'd you go?" she said wait for him to land.

"Please, wait!" Aang shouted behind her.

"There you are!" She launches a rock at him. He stops it with airbending and the blast knocks the Bandit out of the ring.

Xin Fu, The Boulder who is recovering from his match with the Blind Bandit, the Water Tribe siblings and the Nephilim brothers were in shock.

The crowd cheers as Aang, who looks around surprise. The Bandit walking away from the base of the arena. In the background is a set of stairs. Aang is at the top of the stairs and he calls after the former champion. "Please, listen! I need an earthbending teacher, and I think it's supposed to be you!"

The blind bandit didn't quite hear what he said but she didn't care. "Whoever you are, just leave me alone."

She earthbends a doorway and exits through it. She turns and closes the door with a motion of her hands.

"Wait!" he said but reaches the wall too late.

On the arena above Xin Fu holding the belt and the bag of gold, the crowd cheering behind them. Katara, Dante, V and Sokka enter the frame from the right. Sokka hugs Xin Fu and takes the money and the belt. Some of the area accidents straddle Dante and V for doing a good match. Sokka puts his arm around Aang's shoulder. But the Avatar is still morose.

"Way to go, champ!" Sokka said as he gets gold and belt.

Aang looks down sorrowfully still morose. He not only lost his chance to speak to her but he cheated in a victory. It was fair and he felt absolutely rotten.

::

**GAOLING**

Team Avatar walking within the town. They search for the Blind Bandit had to begin here if not anywhere else.

"So off the top of my head, how do you like your … Earth Kingdom shoulder bag?" Dante asked.

"I've got to admit; now I'm really glad I bought this bag. It matches the belt, perfectly." Sokka said proudly.

"That is a big relief." Katara replied sarcastically.

"If we want to find the Blind Bandit, the Earthbending Academy is a great place to start."

They entered the Earthbending Academy and the same two male students from yesterday are seen practicing. When they notice who them they were not happy.

"Oh great, you again." the first student said.

Katara glares at them, causing them to back off. They bumped into Dante who was standing them. They backed off him when he growled like a lion. "Yeah, I didn't think so."

"Nicely done." Sokka said smugly.

Though they were scared they noticed Aang from last night. "Hey! You're that kid who beat the Blind Bandit!"

"We need to talk to her. Do you guys know where she lives?" asked Aang.

"The Blind Bandit's a mystery. She shows up to fight, then disappears." The first student says.

Katara approached "Let me handle this. You're not telling us everything!"

"Don't antagonize her again. The Lioness has long sharp claws." V warned.

"No, no, I-I swear it's true. No one knows where she goes, or who she really is." The second student raised his hands defensively.

Aang realized they mistake they were making. "That's because we're asking about the wrong person. In my vision, I saw a girl, in a white dress, with a pet flying boar. Know anybody like that?"

"Well, a flying boar is the symbol of the Beifong family. They're the richest people in town. Probably the whole world." said the first student.

"Yeah, but they don't have a daughter." added second student.

"A flying boar is good enough for me. Let's check it out." Everyone began to leave out of the gate.

"Yeah, you better leave." The first student said quietly.

"Hey, I got my eye on you." Katara reminded them.

"Make a bad move and I'll take both of yours out." Dante then with him popping his middle finger

"Who's bad?" Griffon asks Sokka as he flaps away.

"Water Tribe." Sokka states coolly.

::

Back at the Earth Rumble VI venue The Boulder spoke to Xin Fu about the match last night.

"I'm telling you, The Boulder was standing right there. I saw the kid strike, but there was no earthbending. Nothing made contact. The Blind Bandit just fell out of the ring. She must've took a dive and split the money with the kid." The Boulder said.

Whatever the boy did he cheated. Xin Fu slams his fist against the wall, causing rocks to land on his feet; cries out in anger and pain. "GAAAAHHH! Nobody cheats Xin Fu."

::

Back in Gaoling Team Avatar asked around for the dwelling of the Beifong family. they point them in the direction. That walked until they went out of town and in the country where they saw a walled country estate lying boar emblazoned upon it.

"That's the flying boar from my vision. Come on!" Aang said.

There were guards posted at the gates. So they decided to hop the wall. Once over it they saw a lovely garden and many ponds sparking in the sun. The shrubbery where trimmed and the trees blossoms were in full bloom.

They enter the courtyard and hid behind a bush. When they stuck their heads out to see part of the ground suddenly lifts up, launching them into the air. They yell as they fall and land unceremoniously; Aang and Katara land in some rose bushes, Sokka and Dante slams painfully onto the solid ground, But V landed on the ground softly with the help of holding on to Griffon.

Aang looks up and see the Blind Bandit in her fancy gown from his vision in the swamp.

"What are you doing here, Twinkle Toes?!" she asks.

"How did you know it was me?" Aang asked curiously.

"Don't answer to Twinkle Toes, it's not manly!" Sokka hissed at Aang.

"You're the one whose bag matches his belt." Katara stated.

"She got you there, bitch." Griffon threw and insult.

"How did you find me?" the Bandit demanded.

Aang told her the story hoping she would believe it, but she didn't. "Well, a crazy king told me I had to find an earthbender who listens to the earth. And then I had a vision in a magic swamp, and -"

Katara saw the girl wasn't buying and jumped in to get to the point. "What Aang is trying to say is, he's the Avatar. And if he doesn't master earthbending soon, he won't be able to defeat the Fire Lord."

The bandit understood it now gave an honest. "Not my problem. Now, get out of here, or I'll call the guards." She said and walked away.

"Huh, alright she doesn't want to help. Let get out of here." Griffon said and got ready to flap away.

"Hold on! Look, we all have to do our part to win this war, and yours is to teach Aang earthbending." Said Sokka.

"GUARDS! GUARDS, HELP!"

The gang scatters to the wall scrambles up it and out of sight. The Blind Bandit adjusts herself as two guards appeared to her side.

"Toph, what happened?" asked the guard.

"I ... thought I heard someone. I got scared." She pretended to be frightened.

"You know your father doesn't want you wandering the grounds without supervision, Toph." The guard reminds her again.

"So … her name is Toph." Dante mutters.

The guards escort her away and Aang peers at them from over a rooftop. He smiles and climbs down for he got an idea.

::

Inside the living room of the Beifong estate Toph, her parents Lao and Poppywere having tea with the Earthbending teacher Yu from Gaoling academy.

"I'm pleased to hear that Toph's private lessons are going well. But I want to be sure she's not trying anything too dangerous." Lao asked.

"Absolutely not. I am keeping her at a beginner's level. Basic forms and breathing exercises only." Yu reassured him.

"Very good." Lao said satisfied.

A servant comes in with news. "Excuse me, sir, but you have a visitor."

"Who thinks they are so important they can just come to my home unannounced?" Lao asked sternly. Where were the matters of folks these days?

"Uh ... the Avatar, sir." The servant said.

Toph's eyes widen in shock and surprise. She didn't think they would pull something like this and blows her hair in annoyance.

Inside the dining room, where the Beifongs, Yu, and Team Avatar gather for a dinner of soup, tea, roast duck, and tea. Aang sits across from Toph. Everyone eats with manners while Sokka devours his food like an animal. Servant brings a cup of soup to Toph. Lao notices this and shakes his head.

"Blow on it. It's too hot for her." Lao said to the servant.

"Allow me." Aang sends a small tornado at the cup. Everyone claps.

"Avatar Aang, it's an honor to have you visit us." Lady Poppy said.

"In your opinion, how much longer do think the war will last?" asked Lord Lao.

"I'd like to defeat the Fire Lord by the end of summer, but I can't do that without finding an earthbending teacher first." Aang answered.

Lao kindly offered the local master to Aang. "Well, Master Yu is the finest teacher in the land. He's been teaching Toph since she was little."

"Then she must be a great earthbender! Probably good enough to teach someone else - Ow!" Aang jump a little when Toph sends a fissure under the table at him to shut his curious mouth up.

Aang straights up a little. Lao casts an odd glance at his daughter who merely eats her soup.

"Toph is still learning the basics." Master Yu informed him.

"Yes, and sadly, because of her blindness, I don't think she will ever become a true master." Lao said glumly.

Dante glance at Toph and Master Yu. The guy is a master and he would know if Toph made progress, any type of progress for that matter. Base on what he saw in the arena something didn't quite add up.

"Oh, I'm sure she's better than you think she is." Aang added.

Toph sends another fissure at him, causing his face to fall into the soup.

Aang rubs some soup out of his eyes and sneezes on purpose, sending the food flying at the Beifong family. V's hand froze in the spot where he was going to reach for more helping of food. But due to Aang's sneeze attack he just simply sat back and whipped his mouth.

"What's your problem?!" Toph shouted angrily.

"What's _your_ problem?" Aang shouted back.

"What are both of your problems" V asked.

"Well, shall we move to the living room for desert, then?" Poppy purposed as she and her husband wipe their faces with napkins.

::

Later that night, the five are in a guest room. Toph enters, causing Aang to jump into a defensive position. Dante blinked wondering if Aang was attempting to fire a bolt of lightning from his finger tips while

"Relax. Look, I'm sorry about dinner. Let's call a truce, okay?" Toph said finally giving up and letting them in a little.

The three noticed that Toph looked a little different from when she was in the arena to when they saw her in the garden earlier. She appeared to be standing straighter and taller with more definition. She appeared like the she could be and Earthbender while around her parents she seemed more diluted. Was it just the outfits or the appeal or something more?

Aang, Dante and V followed Toph outside to the yard. Toph walks along the side of the bridge balancing as she does. Though she was going to turn down Aang's offer again she decided tell the three the most extraordinary thing they have ever heard.

"Even though I was born blind, I've never had a problem seeing." Toph jumps down and lands on the soft grass. I see with earthbending. It's kind of like seeing with my feet. I feel the vibrations in the Earth, and I can see where everything is. You three, that tree ... even those ants."

They looked around but even on a full moon lit night it was too dark see the details on the ground.

"That's amazing." Aang commented.

"It could certainly sue that." Dante said.

"You are unique. Your parents would be proud to have their own daughter take care of herself." V praised.

"My parents don't understand. They've always treated me like I was helpless." Toph admitted.

"Is that why you became the Blind Bandit?" Aang asked.

"Yeah." Toph said.

"Then why stay here where you're not happy?" Dante asked.

"They're my parents. Where else am I supposed to go?" Toph quested.

"You could come with us." Aang offered.

Toph once again denied him. "Yeah. You guys get to go wherever you want. No one telling you what to do, that's the life. It's just not my life."

"It's easy to run away, hard to take that first step, impossible to decide without a reason. I know that from personally experience." Dante stated sympathetically.

Toph was quite for a moment until she sensed something and touches the ground with her hand. "We're being ambushed!"

They try to run, but get cut off by underground digging from The Gopher. They are imprisoned in metal cages. The Hippo jumps onto the two cages and starts stomping. The rest of the Earth Rumble wrestlers jump down onto the ground and knocked out V and Dante out of the way as they tried to free their friends.

"I think you kids owe me some money." Xin Fu grinned.

Later, the Beifongs, Yu, Katara, and Sokka discover what has happened. They spot a note attached to a dagger, which Sokka takes. "Whoever took Aang and Toph left this."

He hands the note to Katara which she reads. "If you want to see your daughter again, bring five hundred gold pieces to the arena." It's signed Xin Fu and The Boulder."

"I can't believe it ... I have The Boulder's autograph!" Sokka shouts with glee.

V smacks Sokka upside the head with his cane. "Focus you moron!"

"Master Yu, I need you to help me get my daughter back." Lao asked.

"We're going with you." Katara said.

"Poor Toph, she must be so scared ..." Poppy said she knelt in front of the square craters where Toph and Aang were captured.

::

**EARTH RUMBLE SIX**

Toph and Aang's case was suspended from chains above the arena floor. "You think you're so tough? Why don't you come up here so I can snap that grin off your face?" Toph shouts angrily as she points somewhere below her.

"I'm not smiling." Xin Fu answers dryly wondering if this girl crazy to fight anyone who messes with her.

"Toph!" Lao called out. The two wrestlers turned around to see team Avatar along with Lao and Master Yu.

Sokka sets the bag of gold on the ground. "Here's your money. Now let them go."

Yu earthbends the money across the ring to Xin Fu. He grabs the money, signals for Toph to be sent down, and releases her. Toph goes to Lao and them the arena.

"What about Aang?" Katara asks.

Xin Fu showing the Fire Nation wanted poster. "I think the Fire Nation will pay a hefty price for the Avatar. Now, get out of my ring."

Fire Nation Man appears in an earth tornado. The Gecko jumps down from the ceiling. The Hippo stomps on the ground and crushes a boulder. Headhunter jumps onto the ring from the bleachers. The Gopher pops up from underground.

Dante pops his neck and V pops his arms as they stepped in front of Katara and Sokka.

"You motherfuckers just picked the wrong Avatar to kidnap." Dante spat.

"Dante, these six are skilled arena fighters. Even if going to take them on then we need another Earthbender so it will be two for each." V stated. Dante had to agree because the rules of engagement are different when you are fighting someone as good, or better, than your own self.

"Go, I'll be okay." Aang shouted.

"Toph, there's too many of them. We need an earthbender. We need you!" Katara shouted after Toph.

"My daughter is blind. She is blind and tiny and helpless and fragile. She cannot help you!" Lao tried to persuade them of the true. At least a true that Toph has led them to believe.

"Yes, I can." Toph says finally deciding to come out of the closet and reveal to the world that she is an true Earthbender.

She lets go of her father's hand and walks back to the ring. Xin Fu's wrestlers prepare to leave with The Boulder holding Aang's cage on his shoulder. Toph bends up a small part of the ring to stop them from leaving.

"Let him go! I beat you all before and I'll do it again!" Toph warned.

"The Boulder takes issue with that comment." Said the Boulder.

"Do you always take in the third-person numbskull?" Griffon said as he landed on V shoulder.

The Hippo throws the cage to the side. Dante V Katara and Sokka prepare to strike but Toph stops them.

Toph listens to their vibrations as they run toward her. "Wait! They're mine." Toph growled.

The Water Tribal siblings watch in surprise. Dante leans over give her some words of encouragement: "Kick their asses!"

Toph smirks and takes one stomp of her foot and she shakes the ring up, shooting back the oncoming wrestlers. She enters the resulting dust crowd, unnerving Lao.

Toph creates a large cloud of dust, walks in, and encounters the Fire Nation Man, who takes some time to notice her. As he moves his foot to attack, she smirks. He fires a wave of earth at her, which she dodges. She bends up part of the ring and sends her own wave, ejecting him from the ring as he slams against the sidelines and lands on the ground. Lao and Yu watch from the sidelines in shock.

Katara and Sokka try to release Aang. Sokka repeatedly bangs a rock against the cage.

"Hit it harder!" Aang said for them to hurry it up.

"I'm trying!" Sokka informed him.

The Gecko crawls along the floor and becomes aware of Toph's presence. He fires two rocks which she easily dodges. She bends up a series of pillars, sending him flying out of the ring. Cut to a disoriented Fire Nation Man who slowly gets up before he realizes the Gecko heading to him and he crashes into him. The Gopher tunnels and behind Toph and sends a rock at Toph's head.

She grabs the rock and returns it. Cut to The Gopher turning to a distressed look before he gets knocked out of the ring and right into Fire Nation Man and the Gecko. Sokka finally breaks the cage open, releasing Aang, who prepares to fight. Sokka shakes his head and calls his attention to the battle already going on.

The Boulder and The Hippo prepare to attack Toph. Lao looks on the fight biting his nails. Headhunter flies in from behind to complete the ambush. However, Toph hears him and turns the center of the ring around to put Headhunter on a collision course with the other two wrestlers. With the three men down, Toph ejects them all onto the other defeated wrestlers.

Once again Toph smirks in victory.

"I never knew. Your daughter's amazing!" Master Yu admitted.

Toph clears the dust cloud; only her and Xin Fu remain in the ring. Cut to Toph who spits. A quick shot of her father, who looks shocked at her lack of manners, and Yu. and gets into a fighting stance and they circle the central ring. Xin Fu fires several rocks at her. She brings up an earth shield, deflecting them all. She turns part of the shield on him. He dodges one piece, but when he hits the ring again, Toph picks up his vibrations in it and senses an attack. She dodges a rock and creates a fissure, sending him flying out of the ring between Yu and Lao. Sokka collapses in shock at the sight. Aang and Katara are left amazed and run toward her.

"She's the greatest earthbender I've ever seen." Yu admitted again.

::

**THE BEIFONG ESTATE**

Toph confronts her parents for she certain has a lot to explain for. She fooled everyone, not just her parents, but the servants even the guards. "Dad, I know it's probably hard for you to see me this way. But the obedient little helpless blind girl that you think I am just isn't me. I love fighting. I love being an earthbender, and I'm really, really good at it. I know I've kept my life secret from you, but you were keeping me secret from the whole world. You were doing it to protect me, but I'm twelve years old and I've never had a real friend. So, now that you see who I really am, I hope it doesn't change the way you feel about me."

"Of course it doesn't change the way I feel about you, Toph. It's made me realize something." Said Lao.

"It has?" Toph said.

"Yes. I've let you had far too much freedom. From now on you'll be cared for and guarded twenty-four hours a day."

"Oh that's a bummer." Griffon muttered.

"But, Dad!" Toph protested.

"We're doing this for your own good, Toph." Poppy supported her husband.

"What good is there to keep a work of art locked away from the world?" V asked.

"None that's what!" Dante agreed with him.

"Please escort the Avatar and his friends out. They are no longer welcome here." Lao said.

"I'm sorry, Toph." Aang apologized for the trouble for messing up with her life. He wished he never Airbender he out of the arena.

"I'm sorry too. Goodbye, Aang." Toph said while silently sheds a tear.

Outside, back at Appa, Team Avatar prepares to fly off in defeat.

"Don't worry, we'll find you a teacher. There are plenty of amazing earthbenders out there." Katara encourage Aang.

"Not like her." Aang said.

"She is unique." Dante said as he lay backwards on Appa's saddle with his hands resting behind his head. Katara and V jump up onto the saddle and Aang takes the reins. Suddenly, they notice Toph, in her arena clothing, running toward them and panting.

"Toph! What are you doing here?" Aang asked.

"My dad changed his mind. He said I was free to travel the world." Everyone look at each other with unsure looks, but smile at Toph.

"Well, we'd better get out of here, before your dad changes his mind again." Sokka said.

"Good idea." Toph agreed.

"Well let me be the first to welcome you the traveling Institute for the Chronically Strange." Dante stuck his head over the edge.

"Or as I come to call it: The lunatic Response Unit." Griffon added landing on Toph's shoulder.

Toph chuckled. "You're a funny bird-thing."

Aang smiled. "You're going to be a great teacher, Toph."

"Speaking of which, I want to show you something." She offered.

Aang jumped down in front of Toph. "Okay."

Toph suddenly bends up a rock, sending him into the air and landing in a tree.

"Now we're even. Um, I'll take the belt back." Toph said to Sokka.

Sokka tosses the belt down, hitting Toph on the head and knocking her down.

"Ow!"

"Sorry."

Back at the Beifong estate, Lao meets with Yu and Xin Fu.

"I know you two are very different. But I believe you have a common interest. The Avatar has kidnapped my daughter. I want you to do whatever it takes to bring her home."A servant brings out a chest of gold. Xin Fu and Yu exchange glances at one another._ Yu and Xin Fu bow in agreement._

As for Toph she was now content. The wind of freedom against her hair was the greeting thing she ever felt. To free the winds of freedom is a great gift. She will do evening in her power to remain free forever in the adventure of a lifetime.

::

**Another chapter done and I are tired like crap. I hope you guy enjoy it. I had been waiting to do it for a long time.**

**More of Dante's journey as a tank commander of the Fire Nation Sabertooth Tiger tank as the story continues. The Last Tiger is one of my favorite stories in BATTLEFIELD 5. Even if the game was a little … meh.**

**Until then.**


	7. Chapter 7

**Book Two: Earth**

**Chapter 7: Zuko Alone**

::

::

There in the vast universe there are paths that only must take. Not because they want to because they must.

After parting with Iroh Zuko is by himself, riding his ostrich horse through a fairly barren landscape. After walking for a bit, they arrive at a decrepit bridge over a ravine that breaks as they cross. After regaining control, they continue crossing. A little while later, Zuko smells food and spots a steak being cooked by a couple below the ridge he is walking on. He holds his stomach in hunger, and reaches for his dual dao swords, preparing himself to steal from them. However, after noticing that the woman is pregnant, he stops himself knowing it wouldn't be fair and continues on his way.

Riding through grasslands covered in large broken Earth Kingdom rocks, Zuko holds his water pouch to his lips for a drink, only to finish it off thirstily. Exhausted from his travels, his sight becoming blurry and his eyes closing slowly as he struggles to maintain consciousness. He shakes himself awake, only to close his eyes again moments later. He has a flashback of a beautiful, middle-aged woman in a cloak turning and walking away in a dark hallway. He opens his eyes but keeps his head down.

Under the hot sun, Zuko reaches a small, poor town where the buildings are mostly made of wood and seem to be poorly constructed. In the shade of the building four men dressed in green gambled with what little they had. "Come on, spider snake-eyes! "He rolls a pair of dice and they land with two fives, face-up." Ha! Ha! Yeah!" Two of the other men turn around and punch him in the stomach once each for good measure. He grunts with each punch.

Zuko rides through town and passes the soldiers. Their leader, a man name Gow, glares at him and Zuko glares back. Zuko stops, gets off of his ostrich horse and turns to a merchant at a store.

"Could I get some water, a bag of feed and something hot to eat?" he asked politely. Holds out his hand. In it are two coins.

"Not enough here for a hot meal. I can get you two bags of feed." The store owner says.

Zuko looks down, disappointed. He notices that the four Earth Kingdom men are watching him. They saw Zuko's swords and knew he was a warrior on the road. And travel warriors sometimes find themselves in more trouble than they want.

Two children hide behind the store counter, looking amused. One of them giggles and throws an egg. It hits a gambling soldier. The two boys run off as the Earth Kingdom soldier turn around, looking angry. They only see Zuko behind them, so they stand up indignantly.

"Hey! You throwing eggs at us, stranger?" Gow asked.

"No." Zuko answered.

"You see who did throw it?" Gow asked again.

"No" Zuko answered again turning to face them with one hand on his dual dao blades.

"That your favorite word, no?" The Earth kingdom soldier asked.

"Egg had to come from somewhere." Gow persisted.

The Earth Kingdom soldier laughs and Gow glares at him. At that moment, the store owner returns with Zuko's feed bags for the ostrich horse. Gow goes to the counter and grabs both bags before he can take them. He throws the bags to one of his fellow soldiers.

"Thanks for your contribution. The army appreciates your support. You better leave town. Penalty for stayin's a lot steeper than you can afford, stranger. Trust me." Gow pats his hammer at his side menacingly. The soldiers turn and leave with the bags. Gow let Zuko alone this time because he knew who through the egg, like the other times before.

"Those soldiers are supposed to protect us from the Fire Nation. But they're just a bunch of thugs." Says the store owner.

Easy come, easy go. Zuko walks toward his ostrich horse. He is about to re-mount when one of the little boys from earlier pops up from behind the animal. "Thanks for not ratting me out!" The boy called Lee says.

Zuko ignores the boy, gets on his steed and starts riding away. The boy casts him an annoyed look before brightening with an idea. He comes up from behind and grabs the reins.

"I'll take you to my house and feed your ostrich horse for you. Come on, I owe you!" The boy leads the way, pulling along the animal. Zuko held his stomach in hunger. He didn't care as long as he got something to eat.

::

Lee lived with his parents on a pig farm just outside the town among mountains in the countryside. It was little wooden farmhouse with a roof that needs re-shingling. Zuko saw the several different types of hybrid pigs mumbling loudly at their approach.

"No one can ever sneak up on us." Lee informed.

"No kidding." Zuko said.

Lee takes the ostrich horse away. Zuko casts his glance to pig rooster who crows at him. A man approaches Zuko, Gansu the father of Lee. A woman peers out from behind the farmhouse, Sela the mother of Lee.

"You a friend of Lee's?" Gansu inquired his son of the stranger he brought.

Lee comes running out of the barn excitedly and grabs his father's arm. "This guy just stood up to the soldiers! By the end, he practically had them running away!"

Zuko was impressed to see some idolizing him already, even going as far to exaggerate the truth. Sela comes forward to join her husband and son, wiping her hands on a rag. "Does this guy have a name?" she asked the handsome young stranger.

"I'm ... uh ..." Zuko tried quickly to come up with a new name other than the one that Lee already had. Fortunately he didn't have to.

"He doesn't have to say who he is if he doesn't want to, Sela." Gansu said, "Anyone who can hold his own against those bully soldiers is welcome here. Those men should be ashamed to wear Earth Kingdom uniforms."

"The real soldiers are off fighting the War, like Lee's big brother Sensu. Supper's going to be ready soon. Would you like to stay?"

"I can't. I should be moving on."

The wife frowns and casts a glance at her husband. "Gansu could use some help on the barn. Why don't you two work for a while, and then we'll eat."

Zuko nods in agreement. Fair is Fair.

Zuko and Gansu working on the roof of the barn. Lee is resting on a ladder, watching them re-shingle the roof. While Gansu is doing well and working steadily, Zuko has several twisted and broken nails in front of him; although it is evident he is trying hard to do a good job.

"You don't seem like you're from around here." Lee stated upon see his fair complexion, gold eyes, facial scar and the fact that he appeared to have never worked a day in his life.

Zuko shook his head. He didn't want to talk.

"Where are you from then?" Lee asked another question.

"Far away."

"Ohhh. Where are you going?" Lee asked another question.

"Lee, give it a rest. Stop asking the man personal questions, got it?" Gansu said to his son sterny.

"Yes." Lee sighs in Disappointment and rests his head on his arm. But the child curiosity still reared its ugly head when he asked another personal: "So how'd you get that scar?"

Zuko is surprised by the question and swings down his hammer a little too hard on own his thumb and groans in pain.

"It's not nice to bother people about things they might not want to talk about. A man's past is his business." Gansu reminds his son to be courteous of his manners.

Zuko goes back to hammering as the metal ring echoes in his mind as he starts reminiscing about the past.

::

Long ago when Zuko was the age of Lee, Zuko was in the Royal Gardens of the Fire Nation feeding the turtle ducks with his mother Lady Ursa.

Zuko decided to show something to his mother. "Hey Mom, want to see how Azula feeds turtle ducks?" Zuko throws the rest of the loaf of bread into the water and hits one of the baby turtle ducks. Ursa is shocked.

"Zuko! Why would you do that?" Ursa asked her son.

Zuko saw that what he just did didn't impress his mother and wondered if he hurt the turtle duckling. The turtle duckling surfaces again shaking the water from its feathers, the mother turtle duck charges forth and bites Zuko's ankle hard.

"Ow! Ow ow! Ouch!" Zuko cried out. Ursa removes the turtle duck from Zuko and gently throws her back into the pond, where she swims off with her babies with a *quack*.

"Stupid turtle duck. Why she'd do that?" Zuko pouted.

Ursa puts her arm around Zuko. "Zuko. That's what moms are like. If you mess with their babies," Ursa growls as she playfully bites behind Zuko's ear. "They're gonna bite you back!"

The two laugh in the delight that the Royal gardens gave. Later, Azula, Ty Lee and Mai are playing together in the royal yard by a man-made river and a large fountain. While Mai sits and watches under the shade of a tree, Azula does a complicated flip but messes up the ending and grunts. Ty Lee does the same flip, only she completes the ending perfectly and lands on her feet, arms proudly up in the air. Azula pushes her over and laughs.

"Ugh! Azula!" Ty Lee complained.

Zuko and Ursa walk by together nearby. Mai sees them, smiles, turns away and blushes pink as the sakura trees in full bloom. Azula notices her obvious crush, and turns to Ty Lee with a plot in mind. Whispering in Ty Lee's ear as she giggled. Azula toward her mother and Zuko to make scarring request. "Mom! Can you make Zuko play with us? We need equal teams to play a game!"

"I am not cart-wheeling." Zuko denied.

Azula rolls her eyes. "You won't have to. Cart-wheeling's not a game, dum-dum."

"I don't care. I don't want to play with you!" Zuko denied his sisters again.

"We are brother and sister. It's important for us to spend time together! Don't you think so, Mom?" Azula shoots her mother an innocent smile.

Places her hands on Zuko's shoulder. "Yes, darling, I think it's a good idea to play with your sister. Go on now, just for a little while." Ursa ruffles his hair before walking away, with Zuko glaring at his sister.

Azula reaches for an apple on the tree that Mai was under earlier. Mai, now standing in front of the fountain, is still while Azula places the apple on her head. "Here's the way it goes. Now what you do is, try to knock the apple off the other person's head, like this. " Azula shots a small jet of flame to the apple with her firebending and knowingly sets it on fire.

Zuko is shocked and runs forward toward Mai, who screams as Zuko approaches her. He slams into her and the both of them fall into the fountain, with Zuko lying on top of Mai's stomach. Both seem very shocked and embarrassed. Azula starts laughing at them. "See, I told you it would work!" she told Ty Lee.

"Aww, they're so cute together!" Ty Lee said.

Even from a young age Azula took great delight in the game of manipulation of the other people to do whatever for her amusement. And Ty Lee was always there behind Ty Lee to enjoy it with her.

Zuko gets up angrily and leaves the fountain. Mai stands up as well, infuriated. "You two are such ... ugh!"

At that moment, Ursa comes from the house with a scroll of paper in her hand. "I was just coming to get you. Uncle Iroh sent us a letter from the war-front … You're soaking wet?" she asked.

Zuko stomps past her, leaving small puddles behind him as he goes. "Girls are crazy!" he shouted in frustration.

General Iroh wrote to his niece and nephew about the progress of the war and his well being:

"_**If the city is as magnificent as its wall, Ba Sing Se must be something to behold. I hope you all may see it someday, if Dante doesn't burn it to the ground first! HA HA HA!"**_

The children are laughing at the joke as well. Ursa continues down the letter. "Until then, enjoy these gifts."

Two servants in white come up, and Zuko runs to meet them. Ursa sits and continues reading. "For Zuko, a pearl dagger from the general who surrendered when we broke through the Outer Wall. Note the inscription and the superior craftsmanship."

Zuko picks up the dagger admiringly, unsheathes it and reads the inscription: "Never give up without a fight."

Ursa reads for the next present. "And for Azula, a new friend. She wears the latest fashion for Earth Kingdom girls.

As Ursa reads, Azula picks up her present. It is a doll wearing green. She picks it up by the head with disgust, making sounds and sticking out her tongue. "If Uncle doesn't make it back from war, then Dad will be next in line for Fire Lord, wouldn't he?" she asked.

"Azula, we don't speak that way. It would be awful if Uncle Iroh didn't return. And besides, Fire Lord Azulon is a picture of health." Ursa reminded her daughter of her manners.

"How would you like it if cousin Lu Ten wanted Dad to die?" Zuko asked her sister to see how it felt. She ignored it of course.

"I still think our dad would make a much better Fire Lord than His Royal Tea-Loving Kookiness." She said and sets the doll's head on fire.

Even from a young age Zuko was grateful because his mother taught him so and Azula was ambitious because her father taught her so.

::

Night has fallen, and Lee's parents offer the barn to Zuko for him to sleep in. Zuko is sleeping on a pile of hay inside the barn. A door opens and Lee comes sneaking in. He takes the Dual Dao swords, but nearly stops when Zuko makes a sound in his sleep. Nevertheless, Lee walks out of the barn with the swords and closes the squeaky door. Zuko's eyes pop open for there was a thief in the night.

A large sunflower garden, where Lee is practicing with the swords. He jumps around and chops off several sunflower heads. He starts stabbing a nearby dead tree trunk repeatedly, his tongue lolling out of his mouth and breathes heavily in the effort.

"You're holding them wrong."

Zuko had silently approached Lee from behind. Lee falls backward in surprise and gets back up, ashamed, and holds out the swords to Zuko. Zuko could scold Lee but considering the boy was eager to learn he decided to teach him something about the dual Dao swords.

"Keep in mind, these are dual swords. Two halves of a single weapon. Don't think of them as separate, 'cause they're not. They're just two different parts of the same whole."

Zuko swings around the swords carefully, demonstrating his skill. He cuts off some sunflower heads, turns around, and hands the swords back to Lee to try. Lee is a little more careful this time, and a little less awkward with the swords. He turns to Zuko once he is done his mini demonstration. Zuko smiles kindly for the boy shows promise. Lee smiles back and laughs. They begin walking away from the sunflower patch together, side by side under the full moon.

"I think you'd really like my brother Sensu. He used to show me stuff like this all the time." Lee said.

::

The morning came and Zuko mounts his ostrich horse again, ready to leave the hospitable family. Gansu, Sela and Lee have all come to see Zuko off.

Reaches up and offers Zuko a package. "Here. This ought to get you through a few meals."

Zuko is just about to grab the package when he looks up and notices a cloud of dust in the distance. It is Gow and his cronies riding in on ostrich horses.

"What do you think they want?"Gansu asked.

"Trouble." Zuko answered.

Gow and his crew ride toward the pig farm. The animals squeal, clearly irritated at their arrival. The Earth Kingdom soldiers stop right in front of Gansu's family and Zuko.

"What do you want, Gow?"

"Just thought someone ought to tell you that your son's battalion got captured. You boys hear what the Fire Nation did with their last group of Earth Kingdom prisoners?" Gow asked his fellow soldiers.

One of the cronies answered after spitting on the ground. "Dressed 'em up in Fire Nation uniforms and put 'em on the front line unarmed, the way I heard it. Then they just watched."

"You watch your mouth!" Gansu snapped angrily.

Gow rides forward a little more toward Gansu when Zuko goes in between them, interfering. Gow and Zuko glare at each other.

"Why bother rooting around in the mud with these pigs?" He asked before turning around his ostrich horse and all four soldiers ride away, kicking up a cloud of dust behind them.

::

Zuko remembered the day cousin Lu'Ten lost his life in battle. Ursa sits in front of the fountain when a messenger in white approaches her with a scroll. She opens and reads it before standing up and crying. She turns to young Zuko and Azula.

"Iroh has lost his son. Your cousin Lu Ten did not survive the battle." Ursa informed.

Zuko was shocked and sad at the news, while Azula didn't seem to react at all. The news was sudden and the two didn't know what to think.

::

"What's going to happen to my brother?" Lee asked.

"I'm going to the front. I'm going to find Sensu and bring him back." Gansu said.

He and Sela walk away from Zuko, with Sela crying desperately. Lee runs toward Zuko. "When my dad goes ... will you stay?"

"No. I need to move on." He said.

He realized sorrow in which the War has done in taking the lives of not only the Homeland but that of the Middle-Kingdoms. He could at least give something to that was a sign of the enduring human spirit. Zuko reaches behind him and takes out a sheathed dagger. He bends down and gives it to Lee. "Here. I want you to have this. Read the inscription."

Lee takes it with a faint smile. He unsheathes the dagger. "Made in Earth Kingdom."

"The other one." Zuko clarifies.

Lee turned the dagger on the other side and reads it. "Never give up without a fight." With that, Zuko rides away from Lee. Lee runs after him for a little bit, but stops shortly afterward. It was time for Zuko to move on.

::

When Zuko received that dagger from Iroh he couldn't stop playing with it. For it was by far the coolest gift he had gotten from anyone.

"You waste all your time playing with knives. You're not even good!" Azula commented with jealousy.

"Put an apple on your head and we'll find out how good I am!" Zuko said wanting show her how good he was.

"By the way, Uncle's coming home." Azula past on the news she was told to her brother.

"Does that mean ... we won the War?"Zuko asked.

"No, it means Uncle's a quitter and a loser." She said.

"What are you talking about? Uncle's not a quitter!" Zuko raised his voice not wanting to believe any of it.

Azula beg to differ. "Oh yes he is! He found out his son died and he just fell apart! A real general would stay and burn Ba Sing Se to the ground, not lose the battle and come home crying."

"How do you know what he should do? He's probably just sad his only kid is gone. Forever." Zuko tried to make Azula it from Iroh's point of view. Azula understood that much; in her mind if Iroh love his son then he would have remained to avenge his son's death.

Ursa appears in the doorway. "Your father has requested an audience with Fire Lord Azulon. Best clothes, hurry up!"

Zuko runs past Ursa quickly to get ready, while Azula walks rather slowly. "Fire Lord Azulon ... can't you just call him 'Grandfather'? He's not exactly the powerful Fire Lord he used to be. Someone will probably end up taking his place soon."

"Young lady! Not another word!" Ursa warned her daughter to watch her tongue. Azula runs past her mother and leaves. "What is wrong with that child?" Ursa asked herself.

The Fire Lord's chamber was a large room with many columns and a wall of fire in front of the Fire Lord's throne. Ozai, Ursa, Zuko, and Azula are all sitting on the floor some distance back from Fire Lord Azulon. Ozai what the audience before his father to that of a showcase for what he wanted offer his father.

"And how was it Great-Grandfather Sozin managed to win the Battle of Han Tui?" Ozai asked his children another question to show their knowledge of their family history.

"Great-Grandfather won ... because ..." Zuko began but was searching for the answer.

"Because even though his army was outnumbered, he cleverly calculated his advantages. The enemy was downwind and there was a drought. Their defenses burned to a crisp in minutes." Azula finished for her brother.

Ozai was pleased. "Correct, my dear. Now, would you show Grandfather the new moves you demonstrated to me?"

Azula stands up and moves forward. She begins with some circular motions, warms herself up, and firebends. Ozai smiles. Azula does many fairly complicated moves with ease, and Zuko watches her in amazement. He had to admit when Azula does firebending it was a work of art. She finishes off her routine with a jump and a powerful fire blast toward the throne, before landing on her feet gracefully. Azulon was indifferent.

"She's a true prodigy! Just like her grandfather for whom she's named." Ozai praised his daughter, not to mention his favorite.

Azula back down, and looks at Zuko out of the corner of her eye. "You'll never catch up ..."

Zuko stands up angrily. He will show her. "I'd like to demonstrate what I've been learning." He announced to his grandfather.

Ozai frowns at this news. Zuko starts off well, doing the same circular motions as Azula earlier. He manages to produce a small fire blast, which does not impress Fire Lord Azulon but he likes his grandson's spirit. When he tries to create another one, he falls. He gets back up, panting heavily, and tries again, only to fall harder. Ursa gets up worriedly and approaches Zuko to comfort him.

"I failed." He said.

"No. I loved watching you. That's who you are, Zuko. Someone who keeps fighting even though it's hard." She reminded him.

Fire Lord Azulon knew Zuko had the true spirit of the Fire Nation his heart. As Ozai he sensed something else to this showcase an ulterior motive.

"Prince Ozai, why are you wasting my time with this pomp? Just tell me what you want. Everyone else, go!" commanded the Fire Lord.

Ursa, Zuko and Azula start walking out of the throne room; however, Azula pulls Zuko off to the side just before they exit. The children hide in the curtains at the back of the room. The two stop where the curtains open and peek back out at the throne room.

Prince Ozai got right down to business with his beloved father. "Father, you must have realized as I have, that with Lu Ten gone, Iroh's bloodline has ended. After his son's death, my brother abandoned the siege at Ba Sing Se, and who knows when he will return home. But I am here, Father, and my children are alive."

"Say what it is you want!"Azulon said want his son to get to the point.

Ozai bowed his face tot the floor. "Father, revoke Iroh's birthright. I am your humble servant, here to serve you and our nation. Use me."

Azulon growled upon hearing this poison coming of his sons tongue. "You DARE suggest I betray Iroh? My first born? Directly after the demise of his only beloved son? I think Iroh has suffered enough! But you ... your punishment has scarcely BEGUN!"

Azulon's anger causes the flames around him to grow. A wave of energy surged from the throne causing Zuko to be frightened and run away from behind the curtain as Azula watches with an evil smile on her face.

Zuko tried to take an nap and forget about all that happen. He suddenly looks up, alarmed. Azula is standing in his doorway, arms crossed. She looks amused.

"Dad's going to kill you!" she said in a sing-songy voice before her voice become serious. "Really, he is."

"Ha-ha, Azula. Nice try." Zuko said not buying it.

"Fine, don't believe me. But I heard everything. Grandfather said Dad's punishment should fit his crime." She then Imitates Azulon. "You must know the pain of losing a first-born son. By sacrificing your own!"

"Liar!"

"I'm only telling you for your own good. I know! Maybe you could find a nice Earth Kingdom family to adopt you!"

"Stop it! You're lying! Dad would never do that to me!"

Ursa appears in the doorway of Zuko's room wondering what was all the ruckus. "Your father would never do what to you? What is going on here?"

"I don't know ..." Azula faked ignorance.

"It's time for a talk!" Ursa grabbed Azula away from Zuko's bed, and Azula follows reluctantly.

Zuko clasps the blanket tightly in his hands. "Azula always lies. Azula always lies." He chanted hoping it was all a lie, if not a bad dream.

::

"Azula always lies." Zuko muttered as he rested in a grassy field as his memory end.

Zuko hears an ostrich horse suddenly sits up and looks to see Sela riding toward him in a carriage. She is frantic and panic. "You have to help! It's Lee – the thugs from town came back as soon as Gansu left. When they ordered us to give them food, Lee pulled a knife on them! I don't even know where he got a knife! Then they took him away." Sela begins to sob. "They told me if he's old enough to fight, he's old enough to join the army. I know we barely know you, but ..."

Zuko stood up and mounts his ostrich horse. "I'll get your son back."

This was the finally straw he was going to teach those thugs a lesson once and for all that they will never forget.

::

It is sunset. Zuko is riding on his ostrich horse through a small archway that enters into the town. The people around scatter when they see him coming. Lee is tied up to a tower. He seems sad, but when he looks up to see Zuko his hope is restored.

"Hey! There he is! I told you he'd come!" Lee said.

The Earth Kingdom soldiers approach him, as does their leader, Gow. Zuko dismounts and takes off his hat, placing it on the ostrich horse. Zuko faces them seeing that part of this may also be a setup by Gow to get rid of Zuko from town.

"Let the kid go." Zuko warned them.

Gow laughs loudly, but quickly regains composure. "Who do you think you are, telling us what to do?"

"It doesn't matter who I am. But I know who you are. You're not soldiers; you're bullies. Freeloaders, abusing your power. Mostly over women and kids. You don't want Lee in your army – you're sick cowards messing with a family who's already lost one son to the war." Zuko stated.

Gow was silent before turned to one of his lackeys. "Are you gonna let this stranger stand there and insult you like this?"

The soldier runs forward, spear in hand. He goes to attack Zuko, who pulls out his sword and punches the other man in the stomach with the hilt without fully unsheathing his sword. Zuko re-sheathes his sword while the man slides backward and runs away, panting heavily in fear.

A second Earth Kingdom soldier groans and runs to attack Zuko with his spear this time. Zuko punches the spear upward to move it out of the way, grabs onto the man's forehead, and shoves him to the ground. The man gets up slowly and flees as well.

A third Earth Kingdom soldier charges toward Zuko with his spear as well. Zuko stands there, waiting, until the spear is close enough and kicks the spear right in the middle, snapping it. The spearhead, along with half of the spear, goes flying in the other direction. The soldier gasps and runs away from Zuko like the two men before him. Lee laughs in satisfaction. A crowd has gathered; Sela's worried face is one of many.

Gow steps up to the plate to fight Zuko, dual hammers against Zuko's dual swords. Gow saw his opponent was good in close quarters combat. He figured he was not a earthbender which would give him an advantage.

They draw their weapons, and Gow throws the first blow, a rock he has earthbent, and powerfully thrusts over to Zuko. Zuko deflects it readily with his swords. Gow strikes again, this time with three large rocks instead of one. He sends them over in rapid succession to Zuko, who deflects the first two easily. However, the third rock hits him in the stomach and he stumbles backward. This does not dismay him though, so he charges Gow.

"Give him a left! A left!" An old man in the crowd cheers him on.

"It's not a fistfight ..." An old woman reminds him.

"He's got a left sword, don't he?" the old man said.

Gow does the same earthbending trick as earlier; he throws three large rocks at Zuko. Zuko responds the same as before, deflecting the first two but the third one hitting him square in the abdomen. However, this time, he falls over and somersaults backward, and manages to get up, although weakened and still stumbling around. Gow smiles as he saw his opportunity.

"Look out!" The old man warned.

"Behind you!" Lee added.

Gow earthbends again in a spinning motion, but with increasingly larger rocks each time. He shoots four rocks at Zuko, who manages to destroy each, one by one. It continues this way, Gow no longer giving little recovery breaks to Zuko. Both are fighting at full force, although Zuko is so busy being defensive of the large flying rocks that he cannot become offensive to Gow. However, finally Gow creates a rockalanche and directs it at Zuko. Zuko is sent flying and lands straight on his back. Zuko has learned he is not at a level in his skills where he could fight an earthbender without using his firebending.

Zuko has a sudden flashback to the night of another unexpected sorrow. He is sleeping in his room at night when a hand gently touches his shoulder.

He awakens drowsily to see his mother dressed in a cloak. "... Mom?" he says.

"Zuko, please, my love, listen to me. Everything I've done, I've done to protect you." She pulls him into a hug though he was barely conscious. "Remember this, Zuko. No matter how things may seem to change, never forget who you are."

This was her memento to her only son. She turns away from him with a sad smile, pulls her hood up and disappears down the dark hallway. And out of Zuko's life.

"Get up ...!" Lee was worried that this may be the end.

Gow raises his hammers to deliver the final blow. In that moment Zuko hears a familiar voice in his head that asked an interesting question: **"Why do we fall?"**

Zuko's eyes open. He reaches for his swords and gets up firebending, creating a hurricane of flame. Gow drops his hammers and is pushed over, and lands on his back. Zuko stands there, seething at Gow. Although unarmed, Gow stands up and raises his fists, determined to finish the fight. Zuko charges him, sending various fire blasts. Gow tries to deflect them with earthbending, but the blasts are too powerful and he is sent backward again. Rocks hit his head as he lands in with a cloud of dust.

"Who ... who are you?" Gow asked at the mercy of the firebender.

But Zuko was no ordinary firebender. "My name is Zuko. Son of Ursa and Fire Lord Ozai. Prince of the Fire Nation, and heir to the throne."

Everyone was shocked and surprised by this news. However the old man in the crowd remembered a little detail he heard once that was left out.

"Liar! I heard of you! You're not a prince, you're an outcast! His own father burned and disowned him."

It appears word of his banishment had reached even here to this remote village. Zuko was not going to speak against that. It like many things in his life he leaded to accept not matter how much he hated it.

Zuko kneels down toward Gow, who shudders in fear. However, Zuko does nothing to harm him; he only takes Lee's dagger back. The man was coward and will be driven from the village. Zuko walks toward Lee to give it back, but Sela intervenes.

"Not a step closer." She warns him.

Zuko remembered the turtle duckling he bothered back then, and how she bit at his ankle for messing with her baby. A lesson Ursa taught him.

Zuko kneels down in front of Sela, with Lee peeking around his mother's back, offering the knife. "It's yours. You should have it."

"No! I hate you!" Lee said. He and his mother walked away leaving Zuko alone. Zuko really couldn't blame them.

Zuko has another flashback. It is early morning and he is in his bed in his room. He wakes with a start.

Zuko leaps out of bed and runs out of his room down the hallway. "Mom? Mom? Mom!"

Zuko enters a pillared room, where Azula is admiring Zuko's dagger from behind a pillar. She re-sheathes it and steps out to face Zuko.

"Where's Mom?" He asked his sister.

"No one knows. Oh, and last night, Grandpa passed away." Azula informed him of more bad news.

"Not funny, Azula! You're sick. And I want my knife back, now." Zuko tries to grab it, but misses as Azula quickly moves out of the way.

"Who's going to make me? Mom?" Azula taunted.

Zuko dashes forward and grabs his knife from Azula, who was dangling in a tantalizing manner. He runs away to keep looking. Zuko reaches the garden where his father is staring into a pond.

"Where is she?" Zuko demanded.

Ozai does not acknowledge that he has heard Zuko. Even if he knew and told him it wouldn't make Zuko happy. Today Ozai realizes the price of having a loose ill-mannered tongue.

Sometime later before Azulon's funeral Zuko rest his head in sadness in the window looking out at the garden. Suddenly hand gently reaches over and touches his shoulder. Zuko turns around to it was Dante wearing his red robes of nobility with his long black in a ponytail like Zuko's. He had returned home upon hearing such turned of events.

"Are you alright, my little Prince?" Dante asked kindly.

Zuko frowned and dashed off and ran until he fell down the steps to the garden. He scrapped his knee and grabbed it in pain. Dante appeared at top of the steps and walked down to offer a helping hand. Zuko accepted it and stood up. Dante knelt down looked the young prince in the eye.

"Why do we fall? So we can learn to pick ourselves up. I know how you feel Zuko. I lost my mother long ago. Don't deny your pain but embrace it for is the first to step on the road of being the best of yourself." Dante said as he took young Zuko to have his knee healed.

The day of Azulon's funeral arrived. Outside the royal palace at night row upon row of people standing on the palace grounds, wearing red hooded cloaks and carrying long, victory red, rectangular flags. Dante was in the crowd up front wearing a black hooded cloak. The Red army of the Fire Nation army stood at attention as the ceremony proceeded. At the top of the steps to the palace, a Fire Sage leader dressed in red, with several other Fire Sages in white behind him. There is an elaborate coffin behind him along Zuko, Azula, and Ozai are standing to his right.

Fire Sage leader raised one arm in salute causing the vast crowd to return the salute in response. After a moment of silence the arms went down and the service began with Fire Sage leader giving a speech.

"People of Motherland, Our beloved Fire Nation, we are gave here to pay our final farewell to our beloved leader. Fire Lord Azulon. He passed due to complications to his health. But his strength and spirit shall always stride within us. Azulon. Fire Lord to our nation for twenty-three years. You were our fearless leader in the Battle of Garsai. Our matchless conqueror of the Hu Xin Provinces. You were father of Iroh, father of Ozai, husband of Ilah, now passed. Grandfather of Lu Ten, now passed. Grandfather of Zuko, and Azula. We lay you to rest."

With those words, two attendants in white Firebend Azulon's coffin, which was on a layer of wood so it burns easily. The fire reflects in Dante's eyes.

"As was your dying wish, you are now succeeded by your second son." The Fire Sage holds up the fire crown and places the fire crown in Ozai's top knot and steps away."Hail Fire Lord Ozai!" he anncounces for all to her.

Ozai stands up, and the group of mourners wearing red and holding flags all kneel down at once, as do the Fire Sages behind him and Zuko and Azula. The fire soldiers raised their arms forward saluting their new Fire Lord chanting in thunderous cadence. Dante refused to bow or salute Ozai for he knew there was a truth in the shadows and his wrath and defiance to Fire Lord Ozai began on that day and every day since. Azula is smiling wickedly at this new development. Dante Zuko looks over at her and the crowd with absolute fear in his eyes.

::

Zuko memories finally end as rides out of the Earth Kingdom village on his ostrich horse. The villagers stand in lines on either side of him with various possible weapons in their hands: a hoe, a pitchfork, a rock for throwing. They watch him leave with anger and hatred in their eyes. As Zuko passes Lee, the boy looks the other way. Zuko ignores them, and rides off into the sunset, just as alone as when he arrived.

Zuko couldn't blame them; so much was grief and destruction was done by the Fire Nation in the war they started that that the other free people of the world have devolved a fear and dread for the Fire Nation and a firebender that is as old as the wild animals of the field fearing the flame of a torch that man used to scare them off in long forgotten days of this world birth.

But what of the Fire Prince that save their village from the Gow and his thugs. The villages were grateful that much is certain. The fact they stay their hand to strike Zuko was mostly likely out of fear or pity. The fact he was an outcast meant he was an enemy of the Fire nation forces here in the Earth Kingdom. But certainly that meant was certainly not a friend to the Earth Kingdom.

Zuko embraced who he is, but he must remember keep the truth a secret. Trust no one. And if he sees someone in distress he will do what he can those that are can't help themselves. For it is a virtue to reach out to help people in need and expect nothing in return.


	8. Chapter 8

**Book Two: Earth**

**Chapter 8: The Chase**

::

::

Throughout the ages it been said is nothing better than a good hunt. The tribes of man would go on hunting parties that would last for days even week's end. In such times man would pray the ancient gods and goddess of the wild hunt. One in particular was the lord true lord of the hunt for he supported both sides of the hunt: Man and the animal he hunts. The great chase would happen in his realm and he partakes in it with his worshipers. But his sway isn't just for his human subjects for the animals can turn the hunt around and man will become the hunted. The god of the wild hunt even watches over the hunts during war and strife. For is a warrior or a criminal who has caught the eyes of a true hunter that he will hasten to pursue. For mankind are truly the greatest hunter to be pursued by and the greatest game ever to be hunted.

Over the thick woodland region Team Avatar onto of Appa searched for a place to camp. As they did the newcomer Toph was surprised to meet the famous Dante.

"So you're one called 'the Strider'?" Toph inquired toward Dante who sat across from her.

"Yep." Dante confirmed with close eyes as he enjoyed the air in his hair.

"Strider?" Sokka asked.

"It's a common name for Dante in the Earth Kingdom. He's very famous and or infamous depending on your point of view." V answered for Dante.

"Infamous, how?" Katara asked.

Before V answered he looked over to Dante to see if he was okay with it. "Do you mind if I ...?"

"We're here." Aang said as he took Appa down for a landing in a clearing.

"No, but stories are for the riding on Appa or whenever I don't need to take a leak – like now."

Dante leaps off Appa who is several feet of the ground and ran off into the woods. When he returned everyone was preparing to set up the campsite. Aang hands Sokka a sleeping bag. Toph now stands on the ground near Appa and feeling the ground under her feet. "Hey! You guys picked a great campsite. The grass is so soft."

This directs everyone's attention to her concerning the nature of the 'grass'. "That's not grass. Appa's shedding." Sokka informed Toph in a displeased tone. Toph wriggles her toes in the thick mat of fur covering the ground around the bison.

"Oh, gross!" Katara raises foot warily being totally grossed out.

"That's not gross; it's just a part of spring! You know, rebirth, flowers blooming and Appa gets a new coat." Aang reminded cheerfully.

"Ah, the beauty of spring." Katara replied sarcastically.

Appa, who had currently been grooming himself, sneezes, releasing a thick cloud of fur that snow over everyone, "Stop! Appa, stop! Ugh!" Katara cough in protest.

Sokka then gets an idea. Bending over, he gathers up the fur. "It's not that bad, Katara. It makes a great wig!" He turns to reveal a wig made of fur, done up in a towering beehive.

"And a great beard!" Aang agrees wearing a beard of fur.

"And awesome chest hair." Dante adds with fur sticking out of the collar his tunic green.

The three laughed while pointing at each other. Katara wipes fur off her clothing. "I'm just glad we finally have another girl in the group, because you three are disgusting."

Then Toph walks up from behind the guys. "Excuse me, does anyone have a razor? Because I've got some hairy pits!" She raises her arms, revealing that she had stuffed fur in her sleeves. The three laugh; Aang sneezes, sending himself flying backward. The big sneeze causes him to crash against Appa's leg and for fur to blow off his friends and himself. The impact leaves some fur on his back. They continue to laugh joyfully, causing Katara to chuckle slightly.

'When was it last when we laughed in joy?' Katara asked herself.

Later that evening the group is setting up camp. Aang sets up the tent while Sokka and V throws down a pile of firewood they collected and Dante returns with water he collected. Katara, who spends her time stirring around water in a pot, notices Toph slumped lazily against a rock, chewing a piece of wheat. She approaches her to trying to get her to help out with the camp. "So Toph, usually when setting up camp, we try to divide up the work."

Toph shrugged casually. "Hey, don't worry about me. I'm good to go."

Katara once more tried to get Toph to see what she meant. "Well, actually what I'm trying to say is, some of us might fetch water, while someone else might set up the fire pit, or put up the tent." Momo flies over to her, dropping several berries he had collected into her hands. "Even Momo does his fair share."

Toph breezily reassures her that she did her part. "Katara, I'm fine. I can carry my own weight. I don't need a fire, I've already collected my own food and look," Earthbends a rock tent over her. "My tent's all set up."

Katara was slightly irritated that message wasn't received and understood. "Well, that's great for you, but we still need to finish –"

"I don't understand what's the problem here!" Toph said angered.

"Never mind." Katara gave up and walked while Toph earthbends herself into her tent.

::

Standing on top of Appa, Aang uses airbending to lift the saddle. He mistakenly causes it to land directly on top of Sokka, who had been standing on the ground beside the bison.

Katara, who sets down a jug of water, looks over at Toph, sitting comfortably beneath her earth tent. Her dull expression changes to one of slight happiness. She approaches Toph who is eating her food. Rubs back of head sheepishly. "Hey Toph, I wanted to apologize for earlier. I think we're all just a little tired and getting on each other's nerves."

"Yeah, you do seem pretty tired." Toph responded casually.

"I meant all of us." Katara corrected.

"Well, good night." Toph said as she lazily tosses the food onto the ground and lays her head down to rest.

"Good night." Katara replied giving up again.

It's nightfall and everyone is asleep. Dante turned over in his sleep trying to get a better position. Then he sensed something he hadn't sensed in a long while forcing him to shot his eyes open. Toph is suddenly startled awake and presses her left hand to the ground to feel the vibrations within the earth. She hears something. She rises to her feet and runs out of the tent.

"There's something coming toward us!" Toph shouted.

Everyone got up wondering what is up. "What is it?" Aang asked.

Toph pressing hand to the ground. "It feels like an avalanche, but also not an avalanche."

"Your powers of perception are frightening." Sokka answered sarcastically.

"Should we leave?" Katara asked worriedly.

"Better safe than sorry." Said Aang.

The Team Avatar packed up quickly and got on Appa. Once they cleared the tree line they saw a cloud of smoke billowing toward them in a clearing in the distance.

"What is that thing?" Katara asked.

V narrows his eyes as he peered below at the object. It was a tank train mechanism that is racing speedily along the ground. These vehicles are used by only one source of origin: The Fire Nation.

In the night sky, the moon partly obscured by clouds, Appa flies. Aang yawns sleepily, dark circles beginning to form under his eyes. Sokka is ready to fall asleep as he leans his head on his hand. Toph and Katara sitting on Appa's saddle idly. V reads his book and Dante plays a soft tune of his pipa by the light of the bright full moon. Appa finally flies over mountainous terrain and lands on a smooth, rocky surface.

Toph leaps off Appa and lying on the ground, relieved that she could see again. "Ah, land sweet land!" Toph then bends the dust making her rise to her feet with a cheerful smile. "See you guys in the morning!" she says.

"Actually, can you help us unload?" Katara asked politely.

"Really? You need me to help unload Sokka's funky-smelling sleeping bag?" Toph said sarcastically.

Aang hands Sokka his sleeping bag which he proceeds to smell. Sokka turns away, his disgusted face growing red, and falls backward, passing out.

"Well, yeah. That and everything else. You're a part of our team now, and –" Katara said on the offhand.

"Look! I didn't ask you to help unload my stuff! I'm carrying my own weight." Toph points a finger at Katara in irritation, without even looking directly, then turns and walks away.

"That's not the point." Katara said angrily and approached Toph. "Ever since you joined us, you've been nothing but selfish and unhelpful!"

"What? Look here, sugar queen, I gave up everything I had so that I could teach Aang earthbending. So don't you talk to me about being selfish!"

Toph concludes by sitting down on the ground and earthbends an earth tent over her. "SUGAR QUEEN"?!" Katara exclaimed furiously. Toph uses earthbending to close the door of the tent. "D-did you just slam the door in my face?! How can you be so infuriating?!"

Dante, V, Griffon, Sokka and Aang stood several feet away. Katara angrily bangs her fists against the door of the wall and kicks the tent's walls with her feet.

"Should we do something?" Aang asked.

"Hey, I'm just enjoying the show." Sokka said amused.

"If it gets out of hand I'll create a mud pit for them to duke it out." Dante said.

"Nonsense you need a arena surrounded by a spiked pit." V added.

Aang went over to be a referee. "Okay, okay, you both need to calm down."

"Both"?!" Katara quickly turns to face Aang, her expression crazed and her eyes bloodshot. "I'M COMPLETELY CALM!" she exclaimed.

"I ... can see that." Aang acknowledged awkwardly and backed off.

Later at night in the dark forest. Aang, Sokka and Katara lying on the ground. Aang is lying on the ground with Momo beside him while Sokka and Katara lie in sleeping bags. Dante was slept on top of Appa while V leaned back against Appa's arm. They all waited to fall asleep but Katara wanted to add on last jab at Toph before sleeping. "The stars sure are beautiful tonight. Too bad you can't see them, Toph!"

Toph uses earthbending to release a fissure that channels underground and sends Katara flying into the air and landing on top of Sokka, startling him. "Hey, how's a guy supposed to sleep with all this yelling and earthquaking?"

Toph reopens her tent to say something else more upsetting. "That thing is back!"

Dante opens his eyes with a not-so surprised expression in his face. "Well, speak of the devil."

"Well, how far away is it? Maybe we can close our eyes just for a few minutes." Sokka said lying back down and pulls covers of his sleeping bag over his head.

Aang looks around and notices smoke billowing from behind the treetops. "I don't think so, Sokka."

Once more Appa soars away and over the mountainous terrain with the tank train speeding across the land.

"Seriously, what is that thing?" Katara asked.

"And how does it keep finding us?" Toph added.

"I don't know. But this time, I'm going to make sure we lose it." Aang stated.

Appa flew past a mountain, over smooth slopes and jagged cliffs before finally landing on his side on a flat-surfaced rock bed, throwing everyone onto the ground along with their belongings.

"Okay, forget about setting up camp. I'm finding the softest pile of dirt and going to sleep." Sokka crawled along the ground in sleeping bag like an inch worm.

"That's good because Toph wasn't going to help anyway!" Katara informed angrily.

"Oh, I didn't realize the baby still needed someone to tuck her in bed." Toph replied irritated.

Aang pulls the top part of his shirt over his head. "Come on guys, there's something after us and we don't even know what or who it is."

"I know that that vehicle." Dante said he leaned back on the ground to look to the stars. "That is a heavy transport vehicle of Fire Nation's panzer divisions. Troops and equipment are loaded onto it and can be sent over long distances in high speeds. I remember when I in the campaign that lead to the Siege of Ba-Sing-Se I saw them a lot traveling with the main armored spear head. But if this one is traveling alone away from the Fire Army here in the Earth Kingdom its purpose is solo; I don't know who's on it though." Dante said.

Katara rolls over on her side toward Dante. "It could be Zuko. We haven't seen him since the North Pole."

Dante highly doubt it. "Impossible. He lost contact with us when Fire Navy lost at the North Pole. He and his uncle have probably given up and went off to live somewhere else, I hope."

"Who's Zuko?" Toph asked.

"Oh, just some angry freak with a ponytail whose tracked us all over the world?" Sokka puts his head face down on the ground.

"What's wrong with ponytails, Ponytail?" Katara mocked her brother.

Sokka points to his top-knot. "This is a warrior's wolf tail."

"Well, it certainly tells the other warriors that you're fun and perky." Katara continued to joke at her brother.

Unamused at this point Sokka decided to call it quits. "Anyway, whoever's chasing us couldn't have followed us here, so, now would everyone just shhh?"

Momo hops onto his sleeping bag and chitters excitedly. Sokka hold up finger to silence the lemur reminding him of what the word for the day is. "No Momo, **shhh**. Sleepy time."

Momo hops off Sokka and over to the ledge of the rock. He continues to chitter and raises his ears up in alert. Aang rises, followed by Toph and Katara.

"Lemur senses tingling?" Dante said as he sat up and picked inside his ear.

Sokka buries face in hands in misery. "Oh, don't tell me ..."

"That's impossible. There's no way they could have tracked us." Aang said.

"I can feel it with my own two feet!" Toph said.

Aang runs to the edge of the cliff next to Momo and notices smoke rising from the far end of the rocky pathway. The tank train as it rumbles up a slope and onto level ground.

"Let's get out of here." Katara said nervously.

"Maybe we should face them. Find out who they are. Who knows, maybe they're friendly." Aang thought of calm solution.

"Always the optimist ..." Sokka stated hopelessly.

The tank train as it slows to a halt. The door to one compartment opens, releasing a burst of steam. From the mist emerges three Mongoose Lizards. Ty Lee, Mai and Azula rode on the lizards as they began racing toward the group.

"It's those three girls from Omashu!" Katara was alarmed to see them.

Everyone assumes fighting stances. "We can take them. Three on five." Toph said with determination.

"Actually Toph, there's six of us." Sokka corrected him.

"Oh, I'm sorry, I didn't count you. You know, no bending and all." Toph answered sheepishly.

"I CAN STILL FIGHT!" Sokka shouted with his face distorted with rage.

"Okay, three on five plus Sokka." Toph concluded smugly. Sokka steamed for a bit at that response.

Toph earthbends three columns in an attempt to hinder the girls, however, the Mongoose Lizards merely leap over the pillars and continues on their way.

"Well, we wanted to find out who they were and we found out. Now let's get out of here." Sokka flees toward Appa.

"You cocking-sucking coward! Stand your ground and fight!" Griffon said and swooped at the trio sending blasts of lightning at them. The Mongoose Lizards evaded the attacks smoothly. Toph earthbends a huge rock wall in front of the trio to stop them. Azula moves her arms in a circular motion, generating lightning. She fires the bolt at the wall, blowing a huge hole in it. The lizards clamber through the hole with ease.

Toph is shocked at this; she knew the sound of lightning went she heard it. Normally if it was far away it didn't bother, but to have it shot at you was something else. Mai swings her arm, releasing a flurry of stilettos. Toph launches herself off a pillar. The darts strike the pillar and she lands on Appa. Azula repeated the technique to generate lightning and fires it at them at them.

Dante saw this just in time to go to the edge of Appa's saddle and stretch out his right arm with his hand turned to the vertical side. The incoming lightning suddenly split before it touched him and impacted safely behind him in two directions.

"Appa, yip yip!" Aang instructed and they manage to escape successfully, narrowly avoiding a blue fire blast. Azula lowers her arm and looks up at the retreating group. The more she hunts the Avatar and her brother and uncle the more intriguing the hunt becomes.

Iroh redirected her lightning. Now Dante separated her lightning. She will like to know how they did this.

::

"I can't believe those girls followed us all the way from Omashu." Katara said as she was still shocked.

"I still think we could have taken them." Toph grumped.

"Are you kidding me? The crazy blue firebending and the flying daggers are bad enough, but last time we saw them, one of those girls did something that took my bending away. That's scary."

Slowly but surely the first light of morning rose over the mountains sending its warm light, "Oh no, the sun is rising. We've been up all night with no sleep!" Sokka complained.

"Sokka, we'll be okay." Aang reassured his friend calmly.

Sokka holds his hands up to his head nervously. "Are you sure? I've never not slept before! What if I fall asleep now and something happens? And something ALWAYS HAPPENS!" Sokka exclaims freaks out with his eyes bugging out.

"If I can survive an ambush from Earth soldiers in the jungle, with hungry animals and diseases all around me, then you can too Sokka. Get a grip." Dante said as tried to take another slip of wine from his drinking gourd. To his disappointment he found it to be empty. They have to run so much he didn't have time to make more.

Katara sighed. "Every time we land, those girls are there. So we'll just have to keep flying." She saw no other option.

"We can't keep flying forever." Aang said.

::

Through hills and valleys the tank train speeds rapidly through a field of flowers leaving behind indentation marks the ground. Zuko found the trail and followed it. He knew what it was and he had a strong guess who riding aboard. And he's right that person may lead him to straight to the Avatar.

Elsewhere Appa continues to fly but the effort of staying awake with no rest was slowly getting to him as did the others.

"So what's our plan?" Aang asked if anyone had an idea.

"Don't know ... too tired to think." Toph replied slumped against the saddle, exhausted.

"I'm sure we'll come up with something after a short nap." Katara said as she finally smiles in giving to a much needed rest.

"Yes ... sleep." Sokka agreed and followed suit.

The two begin nodding off before slowly rising into the air, wind blowing through their clothing as they lose altitude. Griffon saw himself floating off the saddle. "Uh … GUYS?"

Toph opened her eyes as she couldn't feel anything but the wind rushing past her. "What's going on?" she shouted frantically.

"Appa fell asleep!" Aang exclaimed hanging in the air, gripping Appa's reins tightly.

Appa, whose eyes are closed and legs are sprawled out, falls through a cloud toward the ground. Katara hangs onto her brother tightly. Dante grabbed hold of Toph's feet and V grabbed Griffon while hooking his cane through one the saddles strap holes. Aang crawls over to Appa's head and leans over to face the bison trying his best to wake him. "Wake up, buddy!"

"_Oh, you lovely Western Forest. Eucalyptus candy. Over your heights the wind whistles so cool. However, the smallest sunshine. Thrusts deep into the heart!_" V sings the famous poem about the Fire Nation's western forest.

Appa's eyes as it slowly creaks open and widens in realization of the current situation. Having awakened, he resumes his normal flight, soaring just above the treetops. Everyone sway to the side still tightly gripping the saddle. Appa soars through the trees, colliding into and snapping several branches. The team members brace against the impact.

Appa's impact created a channel way behind him from the impact. Now on the ground Appa falls asleep once more; Aang slides off his head and onto the ground as they finally landed safe and sound.

"Appa's exhausted." Aang informs everyone.

"Okay, we've put in a lot of distance between us and them. The plan right now is to follow Appa's lead and get some sleep." Sokka informed everyone while trudging across the ground, carrying his sleeping bag.

"Of course, we could've gotten some sleep earlier, if Toph didn't have such issues." Katara stated as a matter-of-fact.

Toph, who lying on the ground sleepily, Wakes up and slams the ground. "WHAT!?" she screamed.

Aang tries to calm the tension down. "All right, all right, everyone's exhausted! Let's just get some rest."

"No, I want to hear what Katara has to say. You think I have issues?" Toph said with one hand on her hip.

"I'm just saying. Maybe if you helped out earlier, we could have set up our camp faster and gotten some sleep and THEN MAYBE WE WOULDN'T BE IN THIS SITUATION!"

Now Toph was irritated. "You're blaming me for this?"

Katara tosses aside her sleeping bag and gestures with her hands, challenging Toph to move closer. Aang jumps in between the two. "No! No, she's not blaming you."

"No, I'm blaming her!" Katara replied angrily.

Toph shoves Aang out of the way. "Hey, I never asked you for jack-shit. I carry my own weight. Besides, if there's anyone to blame, it's Sheddy over here!"

Aang was shocked. "What? You're blaming Appa?"

"Yeah, you want to know how they keep finding us?" Toph a handful of Appa's fur and lets the shedding blow away in the wind. "He's leaving a trail everywhere we go!"

Aang jumps down to face. "How dare you blame Appa! He saved your life three times today! If there's anyone to blame it's you! You're always talking about how you carry your own weight, but you're not. He is! Appa's carrying your weight. HE NEVER HAD A PROBLEM FLYING WHEN IT WAS JUST THE THREE OF US!"

Toph then came up with a solution to that problem. "I'm out of here." Toph mutters and stomps the ground, launching her pack into the air which she catches, and leaves.

Sokka moves in front of Toph, his arms outstretched to halt her. "Wait!"

Toph uses earthbending to shift Sokka off to the side, leaving him surprised.

"Toph!" Dante called after her but she refused to acknowledge she heard them.

Elsewhere the tank train was following the trail of fur drift on the wind. In no time they will have caught up with the prey in no time.

Despite this there was just one question that Aang could ask: "WHAT DID I JUST DO?! I can't believe I yelled at my earthbending teacher. Now she's gone." Aang slumps in misery.

Katara now regretted the words she said over and over again. "I know. We're all just trying to get used to each other. And I was so mean to her."

"Yeah, you two were pretty much jerks." Sokka commented from afar, drinking from a cup of ginseng tea Dante hand in his sack.

"Thanks, Sokka." Katara replied sarcastically.

"No problem."

"We need to find Toph and apologize." Said Katara.

"Okay, but what are we going to do about the tank full of dangerous ladies chasing us?"

"I'll stand by a tree with a sign that says "free massages" and see if they bite." Dante said taking a drink of the tea.

Aang grabs a handful of fur and watches as it blows away in the wind. "I have a plan."

Appa lies in the water; lounging in the Nan Shan River, two arched streams of water showering him on either side. Momo lands on top of Appa's head holding a brush where he scrubs the bison's head and is forced to hastily take flight when a stream of water is bent his way. Sokka and Dante are standing in the river several feet away, holding a brush. Dante hold his hand up to bend the water over him and Sokka groans as he becomes drenched by the stream of water.

Appa stands on the ground, his fur still wet from the bath. "Toph was right. The fur was leaving a trail right to us. But now that he's clean, no more trail." Aang said.

"Are you sure he's okay to fly?" Katara asked.

"He'll be fine as long as we leave his saddle and all our stuff here. I'm going to use Appa's fur to make a fake trail to lead the tank off-course." Aang kneels down and places pieces of Appa's fur into his satchel.

Appa grunts and takes flight, V, Sokka and Katara riding atop him. As he flies away, his body accidentally brushes against the treetops, snapping the topmost limbs off and causing them to fall to the ground. Aang and Dante watches as the bison flies away and turns. Dante uses his powers to transform into eagle and take to the air. Taking a running start, Aang flies away on his glider, releasing patches of fur from the bag along the way, creating a misleading trail.

::

Near a mountain range, fog partially obscuring their peaks Toph walking slowly along a pathway on her own on a path with tall thick pines about. Toph stops in her tracks as she senses movement. She turns her head swiftly and uses earthbending to send a stream of earth toward the unknown source. The stream of earth travels its way to a large rock ahead and a dust cloud erupts in the air from the impact. A grunt of pain is heard from behind the rock.

Toph who approaches the rock still assuming a fighting stance. She struck an old who is now kneeling over and rubs his rear in pain.

"Ow ... That really hurt my tailbone." Iroh says with a grimace in his face.

Along the Nan Shan River Azula drips her hands into the water grabs hold of two patches of fur and lifts to examine them.

"Wads of wet fur. How delightful." Mai said dryly.

"Hmmm ... they're not wads, they're more like bundles, or bunches? It's got an "uh" sound." Ty Lee s scratching her head thoughtfully.

"Clumps?" Mai answered.

Ty Lee clasps her hands together and says brightly, "Clumps! They're clumps!" and hugs Mai.

Mai, still being embraced by Ty Lee, who peers down to see a fur trail in the direction in which it is traveling. "The trail goes this way." Mai points out.

Azula, who had been bending over, examining the fur, rises and looks in the direction of the trail. She averts her gaze upward gazing at the broken treetops in a different direction.

"The Avatar's trying to give us the slip. You two head in that direction and keep your eye out for the bison. I'll follow this trail."

Mai and Ty Lee ride away on their mongoose lizards. As they disappear from sight, Azula's mongoose lizard follows the trail to the Avatar.

Aang and Dante fly over a cluster of trees growing on a rocky ledge overlooking the rest of the forest, the river channeling right through the landscape. Mountains are seen in the distance. They flew on with Aang continuing to release the fur from his satchel. They exit the lush, green landscape area and soars over a more arid, rugged terrain.

In the distance was an old abandoned town, Tu Zin, similar to historical Western towns Dante had seen back on Earth. They land on the ground and enter inside; the shutters creaking and a bell tolling in the wind. This place was a genuine ghost town.

The two look advert their sleepy eyes side-to-side as they observe the emptiness of the town. The remaining fur dropped out satchel indicating it was at last empty. Aang he opens his glider and turns to face the horizon was about to take off. But He didn't after some time deep in thought. Standing at the end of the town as he twirls his glider closed and sits down on the ground cross-legged. Dante remained silent as he and Aang stared out into the horizon.

::

Meanwhile Sokka surveys the woods below. "Toph couldn't have made it too far." Momo begins to chitter and rears up defensively. "What is it, Momo? Ooooh, no! Katara!"

Mai and Ty Lee following the bison in hot pursuit, mounted on mongoose lizards.

"How did they find us?" Katara urges Appa forward.

"Fly, you fools" V said.

Appa flies dangerously close to the tree line, growing more and more tired.

"Appa, come on, we need to go faster!" Sokka urged for his life.

"He's too tired!" Katara said.

"We just need to make it across that river!"

"Come on Appa, just a little further ..." Katara pleaded.

Appa continues his descent, snapping off several treetops in the process. Mai swings her arm, firing a flurry of stilettos. Sokka narrowly avoids the weapons by ducking. Appa skimmed the surface of the Nan Shan River before crashing into the ground on the opposite side of the river.

"You did it Appa!" Katara cheered.

The siblings embrace but Katara opens her eyes and gasps. Sokka turns around and becomes horrified; the mongoose lizards paddling the water rapidly, allowing for them to walk over the surface of the river. Katara steps forward and spins around, sending a wave of water crashing into Ty Lee's mongoose lizard. Ty Lee leaps off the beast just in time and emerges from the water. She lands near the treetops where she gracefully dodges from tree trunk to tree trunk in pursuit of Katara, who opens her water skin.

Ty Lee somersaults onto the ground. Katara attempts to lash a water whip in her direction, however, is forced to quickly dodge several of the acrobat's blows. She narrowly avoids having her chi blocked and fires several sharp discs of water at her enemy, who cartwheels repeatedly to escape. Mai still mounted on her lizard turns around and fires several stilettos from uploaded holsters in her sleeves. Sokka steps in knocks the stilettos off-target with his machete and boomerang.

He throws his boomerang in Mai's direction, however, the knife thrower merely leaps off her lizard, avoiding the attack. She spins around and fires stilettos from a holster in her leg. Sokka knocks them away again with his machete. Katara turns around and is forced on the run when Mai comes charging toward her. Ty Lee somersaults and leaps into the air where she flips and lands on the ground near Sokka.

She lands several quick blows on Sokka, using chi blocking to incapacitate Sokka's right arm. Sokka drops his boomerang as a result of this. He swings his left arm toward Ty Lee who merely incapacitates that arm, resulting in him dropping his machete. Sokka looks about him nervously and resorts to kicking his leg in order to fend off the acrobat who proceeds to render his leg useless. Sokka proceeds to use his forehead as a shield. Ty Lee strikes his skull and injures her hand in the process. She backs away and shakes her fist in pain before turning to glare at Sokka.

"Good try, but no." Sokka states as his body is well off-balance.

Katara halts in front of a tree. She begins to draw a stream of water with which to attack Mai, however, the knife thrower hurls two shuriken knives her way. Each of the two knives pins her wrists to the tree trunk. Katara gasps in horror. Sokka hobbles to his sister as a result of the paralysis. He falls to the ground.

"How are you doing?" Sokka asked.

"Well, you know ..." Katara replied as if she had a good answer.

"I thought when Ty Lee and I finally caught you guys, it would be more exciting. Oh well, victory is boring." Mai commented dryly.

V stepped in front if the tribal sibling and with both hands resting on his cane. He was ready to intervene.

"You are just NOW stepping in to help?" Sokka asked V.

"Didn't feel if it was okay to intervene." V replied to Sokka.

"Any time is a good time to intervene!" Sokka shouted.

V laughed quietly. "True. But '**you never know what is enough unless you know what is more than enough**.' Appa, if you please . . ."

Mai and Ty Lee are suddenly swept off their feet by a powerful gust of wind conjured by Appa's tail. They incidentally somersault into the air and land several yards away in the water.

"That is more than enough for me." V twirled his cane with a smile.

"Thanks Appa, I don't know what we'd do without you."

Appa sweeps his large tongue over Sokka's face, covering him in drool. Sokka expresses irritation at this, his eyebrow twitching.

On the opposite side of the riverbank Mai and Ty Lee arrive at its edge, drenched. Ty Lee just realized something very important while wringing out her braid.

"Was it just me, or was those guys kind of cute?"

Mai casts an annoyed glance off to the side. However she would silently agree that the guy with the tattoos and cane was handsome fellow.

::

**TU ZIN**

Aang still sits cross-legged, awaiting his enemy. Dante went inside to see if there anything left he could find. He walked into a saloon that was dusty with overturned chairs and broken glass on the floor. He went behind the counter and saw one green glass bottle on the upper shelf. He felt it was half full and proceed to pull off the corked and smelled the contents. He couldn't place what it was but it was familiar. He walked back out to see how Aang was doing; Aang was focused intently on the horizon. Dante went over and stared at the setting sun.

There she was riding on her mongoose lizard in a cloud of dust - Azula. Dante took a taste of the strong drink as to be ready to for what is to come. Azula finally closed in and dismounts.

"All right, you've caught up with me. Now, who are you and what do you want?" Aang asked getting to the point.

"You mean you haven't guessed? You don't see the family resemblance? Here's a hint." She then covers her eye and deepens her voice to imitate Zuko. "I must find the Avatar to restore my honor!"

Aang remains silent too tired even come up with a response while Dante to another gulp from the bottle.

"It's okay, you can laugh. It's funny." Azula said.

"No … it's not. I'm disgusted to see you still reveling in your brother's disgrace." Dante said with a serious tone.

"Why should I not? It's always laughable."

"Yeah, I remember you're since of humor. I bet the Fire Nation's weight in gold that you betraying me when **Operation: PHOENIX** went into effect was laughable."

"Someone's gotta to have the last laugh. Or in this instance the last Airbender."

"So what now?" Aang inquired.

"Now? Now, it's over. You're tired and you have no place to go. You can run, but I'll catch you."

Aang rises to face her "I'm not running."

Azula smirks, hoping there would be no retreat, or no surrender.

Dante realized why Aang didn't leave the town. Aang wants to face Azula who was chasing them across the country. Like a bully that will stop at nothing to pick on the meek just for their own personal enjoyment. Of course Aang could run away, he done lot of that when Zuko was after him. Dante knows Aang is a fast runner but sooner or later Aang's gonna stop running and faces his problems head-on, especially if he's cornered.

::

Elsewhere in a rocky outcrop Toph and Iroh sat down in a small camp to rest. A tea kettle was heating over a fire; when it was hot enough Iroh poured the tea into two tin cups. He offered one of them to her. "Here is your tea."

Iroh noticed that the girl had cataracts and was mostly blind. Though she was an earthbender that literally kicked his butt he was concern about her well being out in the wilderness alone. "You seem a little too young to be traveling alone."

"You seem a little too old." Toph replied back taking the tea from his hand.

Iroh laughs. "Perhaps I am."

"I know what you're thinking ... I look like I can't handle being by myself."

"I wasn't thinking that."

"You wouldn't even let me pour my own cup of tea!"

"I poured your tea because I wanted to and for no other reason."

Toph realized that this man was no one to judge some based on their appearance and decided relax a little. "People see me and think I'm weak. They want to take care of me, but I can take care of myself, by myself."

Iroh nodded understandability. "You sound like my friend and nephew, always thinking you need to do things on your own, without anyone's support. There is nothing wrong with letting the people who love you help you. Not that I love you, eh I just _met_ you."

Toph laughs at Iroh's joke. "So where are your nephew and friend?"

"I've been tracking them actually."

"Are they lost?" she asked curiously.

Iroh looks away in sadness. "Yes, a little bit. My nephew's life has recently changed and he's going through very difficult times. He's trying to figure out who he is and he went away. As for my friend he believes to be responsible for a tragedy that happened in the family. He believes he failed and now he is plagued with guilt."

Toph frowned at the sadness of these two people this man is trying to find. "So now you're following them."

"I know they don't want me around them right now, but if they need me, I'll be there." Iroh said sincerely.

"Your nephew and friend are very lucky, even if they don't know it. Thank you."Toph gets up to leave, feeling better.

Iroh smiles."My pleasure. Sharing tea with a fascinating stranger is one of life's true delights."

"No, thank you for what you said. It helped me."

"I'm glad."

Toph rises to leave, but turns around briefly. "Oh, and about your friend tell him that it he should forgive himself for something he failed to do. And your nephew … maybe you should tell him that you need him, too."

Iroh remains silent and sips his tea. Sometimes both the young and old need help from folks to get through tough places in live.

::

**TU ZIN**

Dante tossed the bottle of away where it shattered to the side somewhere. He the snorted some mucus in his mouth and spitted it out before popping his neck. He was tired, pissed and he wanted payback.

Azula smiles smugly. "Do you really want to fight me?"

Zuko suddenly appears from an alleyway, leaping off his ostrich horse onto the ground, creating a cloud of dust. He stands up straight and throws his conical hat aside. "Yes, I really do."

"Zuko!" Aang said alarmed.

"Oh this is going to be FUN." Dante commented with smirk while popping his fingers together.

"I was wondering when you'd show up, Zuzu." Azula said calmly.

Aang Covers mouth to suppress his laughter. "Zuzu?"

"Oh yeah. I almost forgot that name." Dante shook his was trying to not laugh out loud.

"Back off, Azula! He's mine!" Zuko warned while taking a fighting stance between his sister and the Avatar.

Azula assumes a fighting stance. "I'm not going anywhere."

"Well, I'm acting sheriff of this crap town . . . and if you six of youse don't vacate immediately . . . I'm going to kick your ass so hard you both are going to be throwing up my toe nails." Dante warned walking a little bit drunk and taking a fighting stance straight across from Zuko.

Four opponents stand, prepared for battle. Azula, confident as ever. Dante talking a drunken style. Zuko caught in the middle. Aang assumes a fighting stance, pointing his glider at Zuko in fright. This was a now a southern Earth Kingdom standoff and the first one to draw commences the long awaited showdown. Zuko shifts his gaze between his sister, the Avatar and Dante. He has fought each one of them at one point or another.

Azula was a quick and deadly as viper. Calm and collected. Precise as the lightning she throws. She will strike first when she gets the chance but only to lure her foe in a struggle to the point where she can deliver the final blow in true perfect.

Dante was like his firebending peers in the Nation. Volatile and unpredictable by nature; But Dante was a Wild Storm personified. Calm, collected with a few insults and curses to an opponent's face. Then the air would shift, and the fury of his storm would unleash. Importantly never corner him in any way. Sadly Azula did just that.

The Avatar has not learned firebending, yet his airbending was not to be underestimated. However he will run when he has the chance but he's a slippery he may not fight and just bolt for the hills.

Zuko shifts the position of his fingers a bit to signal to the avatar that he may not chase him first. Aang, who looks about him nervously ready for whatever happens when whoever makes the first move.

Azula, moves her arm forward, firing a blast of blue fire at Zuko! Zuko conjures up a fire shield to deflect it. He flies backward onto a front porch. Dante rakes his finger across the ground kicking up dust towards Azula before clicking his tongue to create a spark igniting the dust particles causing a series of fireworks like explosions toward Azula. Aang, upon seeing this, expresses horror and attempts to flee the town on his glider. He begins soaring toward the back end of Tu Zin. Azula swings her arm downward sending a stream of fire at Aang, who turns over mid-air and closes his glider, twirling the object to deflect the flames.

Dante swings his arms around creating a pair of fire whips. Azula leans backwards narrowly evade the attack and jumps out of the way of one of the whips coming down on her. Azula running along the beam of a rooftop, prepared to strike him. Aang rolls over, grabbing hold of his glider just as Azula lands nimbly on the ground, sweeping around, sending a stream of fire his way.

Azula rises and turns around to see Dante coming at her with fury of a tiger. Azula kicks Dante back a little with Aang lands on the ground in between them Zuko fires a blast at Aang who steps to the side, managing to avoid the attack. Aang trying to escape toward the back end of town, Azula turning to face him and Zuko firing blasts of his own. Aang rounds a bend and runs past Azula once more, this time heading toward the front of town. Azula fires another blast at him, only to miss. Azula fires several more blows at Dante and Zuko who defected them.

Azula then returned her attention back to Dante and the two engaged in a close combat with Zuko and Aang on either side. Every other moment Dante and Azula would break from the clash and turned the ones behind them. Azula strikes and Aang while Dante would back kick fire blasts at Zuko. Azula the roundhouse kick to the ground. Zuko leaps into the air and striking the ground, unleashing a firebending attack in the process.

The two siblings as two walls of fire, one blue and one orange are created as a result of the impact. Azula fires a blast at Zuko, who ducks and attempts to knock her off her feet. He fires a blast her only for the princess to duck. She sweeps her arm upward, sending a stream of fire his way. Zuko leaps into the air to avoid the attack. Dante had taken this time to leap into the air with his Eryx gauntlet comedown like a meteor causing an explosion of dust. Azula jumped backwards and turned around and fires at Aang who leaps into the air and lands onto an upper outdoors level of a nearby building.

Azula runs up the stairwell leading to the upper level, forcing Aang to run through the open doorway. Dante started after them but Zuko grabs him from behind. Dante quickly summoned the katana from the shine. He spun around unleashing it's blade to get Zuko to let go. Zuko did when he saw the blade had red glowing symbols on it. Instinctively Zuko dodge it and ran up the steps with Dante in hot pursuit. Azula became alarmed as halts in her tracks and nearly stumbles. The entire inside of the building has no floor save for some merely some jagged wooden paneling lining the edges of the wall!

Aang perched atop an air ball, smiling gleefully and waving to her. She windmills in an attempt to steady herself. After leaping about a few times, Azula manages to prop herself against the wall and regains her balance. Zuko suddenly appears in the doorway; He has the misfortune of inaccurate timing and falls roughly onto the first level floor with a yell, sending up a cloud of dust. Aang grimaces in sympathy.

Dante appears in the doorway next but halts when he sees the hole. He struggles to stay up until he sees Azula and tries to cut her head off with a wide horizontal swing. The air ball Aang is riding suddenly begins to dissipate. Azula, who nimbly evades Dante throwing him to the ground floor on top of Zuko, sends a blast of fire at Aang. Aang, who leaps out of the way just as the air ball has vanish. He runs along the edges along the thin floor paneling and knocks Azula onto the first floor in the process. Azula lands nimbly onto the ground near Zuko, who is still recovering from his fall and having Dante land on him.

Dante sees Azula and twirls his Katana and runs forward to run her through. Outside of the building Aang exits through the doorway, lands onto the ground just as Azula burst through the wall of the building through the use of firebending. Zuko lands on the ground unconscious. Dante rolls on the ground but is on his feet shaking his head from the surprise move from Azula. Aang sees Azula heading straight toward him. He flees and leaps out of the way just as Azula sends another blast at him.

Azula had an expression of pure joy on her face. She really was enjoying this battle so much that one could say Azula was almost at her climax.

Aang begins alternately jumping between two buildings, with Azula firing blasts at each spot he lands on. Aang finally reaches the rooftop of the left building and scrambles to prop himself up. Azula sends a consecrated blast of fire, slicing a portion of the rooftop off. Aang leaps off the crumbling portion onto another spot on the roof, only for Azula to repeat the same action.

Aang, who scrambles to prop himself up only for the ceiling to cave in. He lands on the ground inside the building, trapped beneath a pile of wooden planks. Azula enters the building through the doorway and sends two streams of fire along the sides of the wall. The blue fire spreads around the perimeter of the room and turns an orange hue.

Azula, who smirks and holds up one hand, two fingers pointing outward, her typical lightning generation pose. Katara suddenly appears in the doorway and sends a water whip at Azula, guiding her hand off course. Katara bends the stream of water around her and slices the wooden planks, thus freeing Aang.

"Katara!" Aang exclaimed in joy.

Azula swiftly turns around and fires a blast at the waterbender, who races out of the building along the porch. Azula follows her in hot pursuit, only to be halted by Sokka, who emerges from another doorway and swings his machete her way. Azula duck out of the way and finds cornered by Sokka, Katara, Aang and now Dante who jump back in and is ready to go.

Zuko regain consciousness and see Iroh kneeling over him.

"Uncle . . ."

"Get up!"

He helps Zuko get up. They turned to see the battle continuing with new combatants. Aang runs straight toward Azula and leaps over her just as Azula fires a blast at him. She turns around and blocks a water whip Katara sends at her. She fires a blast at Sokka and swings her arm outward to prolong the blast. She blocks a couple of blasts from Dante that swirled around to confuse her. She turns around and catches it to strike Aang with another blast. Azula swings her arm outward sending an arched fire blast at the three before pausing standing poised for attack. She suddenly falls over to the side; Toph appears from an alleyway, having just shifted the ground beneath her feet.

"I thought you guys could use a little help." Toph said with a smile.

"Thanks." Katara accepts happily.

Azula realizes she is out numbered without Mai and Ty Lee. She rises to her feet and begins to running away. Azula runs through the alley. Suddenly right in front of her a meteorite crashing and forms into a gargantuan demon of dark rock. Nightmare sluggish movements belie his unsurpassed strength and nigh-invulnerability. Griffon and the panther Shadow appear beside it with V climbing atop it and piercing it with his cane to control Nightmare directly.

"Here's … JOHNNY!" Griffon exclaims.

Azula runs the other way being not ready for this kind of crazy. However, Iroh intervenes, using his rotund belly to knock her off her feet. Aang, Katara, Sokka, Toph, Dante, V, Zuko and Iroh are all cornering Azula against the ruins of a stone wall.

Now the hunter has now corner by her own prey. Coolly, she backs up as her enemies surround her. "Well, look at this. Enemies and traitors, all working together. I'm done." Raises her hands in surrender. "I know when I'm beaten. You got me. A princess surrenders with honor."

And like that the hunt seems to reaches its inevitable conclusion. But that was the point; the hunt is only truly over when the prey is killed or it gets away. In Azula's case she teaches all of them an important lesson: just because your cornered, doesn't mean you're beaten yet.

With a smirk Azula, takes a step forward and quickly fires a blast at Iroh who gets hit. He screams in pain and falls to the ground. Zuko is horrified while Dante's eyes widened in shock. The remaining seven turn to face Azula, five of them bending their respective elements, V commands Nightmare to unleash a powerful laser beam and Sokka throwing his boomerang straight for her.

Azula quickly created a dome of blue fire to protect herself from the impact of the elements and raw energy which creates a minor explosion, sending a thick cloud of smoke everywhere. The smoke clears to reveal Azula having vanished from the scene without a trace. She used the Firebending technique that was popular for quick escapes.

Buildings in the town now set alight, burning embers falling from the sky. An immense all this ruin Zuko who kneels before his uncle, dismayed at the turn of events.

"IROH!" Dante screamed as he ran over dropping to his knees. "Not him …" Dante muttered as the image of Lu'ten's death flashed in his mind. He put his finger to Iroh's neck searching for a pulse. There was one, it was weak, but it was there.

Team Avatar approaches Zuko who turns around glaring at them angrily. Azula escaped and there was no one around for him to direct his anger at saved for the Avatar and his friends.

"Get away from us!" Zuko shouts.

Toph shifted her foot to detect the vibrations using seismic sense. He is still alive. Her eyes became like glass as she discovered that it was the same stranger from before who gave her good advice.

Katara approaches Zuko. "Zuko, I can help." She said sincerely.

Zuko heard this but was too enraged at Azula to accept any help from anyone. Dante wasn't a foe to him of Iroh but the Avatar and his friends weren't his allies. He blasts an arc of fire over their heads to make them leave. "LEAVE!" Zuko screamed at the top of his lungs with tears in his ears.

Team Avatar ducked to avoid the fire but Dante who back at them with blood running out of his nose from the dryness of the air. His eyes were red with demonic energy.

"_Run_. _Get back into the tank._" Dante said softly as if his mind was somewhere else.

The remaining Team Avatar runs away leaving Zuko and Dante still kneeling over Iroh, in defeat.

Night falls over the somewhere in the mountains at where Appa lands. Team Avatar sleeping on the saddle; Aang sleeps peaceful with their arms behind their heads, Momo and Sokka sleep in an odd position, Shadow and Griffon rest near V who fell asleep while reading his book and Toph and Katara resting next to each other with their issues finally resolved.

The wild hunt is over, for now.


	9. Chapter 9

**Book Two: Earth**

**Chapter 9: Bitter Work**

::

::

In a mountainous terrain at sunrise as it pans down and to the right. All of Team Avatar is sleeping, except for Aang, who refuse to sleep anymore, jumped up with airbending due to how exciting it is to him and Lands near Sokka who was still sleeping.

"Today's the day! Can you believe it? After all that time searching for a teacher, I'm finally starting earthbending! And this place, it's perfect, don't you think? Sokka?" Sokka grumbles and glares at Aang with tired eyes. "Oh, you're still sleeping, huh?" Sokka again grumbles and puts his head back down.

The ground shakes, causing Aang to turn to look toward the source of the rumbling; an earth tent, the slabs of which are tossed in every direction mere moments after. As the dust clears, Toph is standing in the middle with her left hand raised in the air."Goooood morning, earthbending student!"

Katara sat upright in her own sleeping bag. Toph walks over to them. "Good morning, Sifu Toph." Aang faced his Earthbending instructor and _bows _slightly. Disappointed and tiredly Katara sat up when she heard Aang call Toph something that she never heard him call him before. "Hey, you never called me Sifu Katara."

Aang scratches the back of his head. "Well, if you think I should ..."

Sokka suddenly sits up, grumbling at Aang. Cut to a closer shot of Aang, who looks down in wonder, and Toph, who has a smile on her face.

"Sorry, Snoozles, we'll do our earthbending as quietly as we can." Whispers slightly, though with amusement in her voice.

Toph's feet as she slams her left heel into the ground, creating a crack. An earth pillar rises up right underneath Sokka, catapulting him screaming into the air. Sokka crashes to the ground in their middle with a loud thud. He immediately jumps to his feet, still in his sleeping bag with only his head visible, and hops toward Aang while grumbling. He stops in front of the Avatar and grumbles to his face, before jumping toward Toph and doing the same to her before hoping away angrily.

"Someone's coming." Toph said sensing the vibration in the earth.

Over some rocks Shadow jumped down from one rock to another until he reached the ground. On his back laid Dante snoring in a deep sleep.

"It's Dante!" Aang shouted upon seeing his friend again.

Shadow got down close to the ground and Dante rolled off and onto the ground with a grumble. V came over and petted Shadow for a job well down. "It seems Dante made sure Iroh was alright. Shadow says he found Dante between here and their sleeping beside a rock."

"I didn't hear anything." said Katara.

"Shadow speaks not with words. But I still hear his voice. Let's get him to bed." said V.

Katara and V helped Dante up and put his arms around them to balance him as walked to Appa. The Sky bison groan as he sensed Dante's uneasiness. They laid him back on one of the sleeping bags.

After a minute Dante opened and rubbed his eyes and saw everyone looking at him with concern. "Whatever you think I did – Sokka did it."

"No I didn't!" Sokka exclaimed.

Everyone turned to Sokka as to what he meant by that, Sokka just turned away. Aang jumped up and now softly lands beside Toph. He was so eager he was shaking he will become an Earthbender today. However Toph is not quite sure Aang may get it on the first day, if not the first day.

"So what move are you going to teach me first? Rock-a-lanche? The Trembler? Oh, maybe I could learn to make a whirlpool out of land!"

Toph puts a hand on Aang's chest to stop him. "Let's start with ... move a rock."

Aang Claps excitedly. "Sounds good, sounds good!"

::

T**OPH'S HOW TO EARTHBEND FOR DUMMIES – THE STANCE**

In another part of the canyon Toph and Aang stood in front of two rocks as Katara, Dante, V, and Sokka watches from the side.

"The key to earthbending is your stance. You've got to be steady and strong. Rock is a stubborn element. If you're going to move it, you've got to be like a rock yourself."

"Like a rock. Got it." said Aang.

"Good. Now the actual motion of this one is pretty simple." Toph slams the rock against the canyon wall. "Okay, you ready to give it a try?"

"I'm ready." Aang tries to move it, but instead his forced backward into Appa like the wind.

"Rock beats airbender!" Sokka chuckled amusedly.

::

Iroh has a flashback in a dream about his son Lu Ten.

_They were running in a field of tall waving grass. __"I got you, Dad!" __Lu Ten pretends to firebend at Iroh who fakes a groan and falls over. Lu Ten playfully jumps on top of Iroh and the two laugh in pure joy. __The dream shifts to another point in life where Iroh sits over Lu Ten's tomb._

"_My beloved Lu Ten, I will see you again."_

Iroh wakes up to Zuko calling him. "Uncle ... you were unconscious. Azula did this to you. It was a surprise attack."

Iroh groans from the strain of his wound as he sits up. "Somehow, that's not so surprising."

"I hope I made it the way you like it." Zuko hands Iroh some tea. Iroh takes a sip from the cup and his eyes widen. He lets out a cry of disgust, but manages to mask it best he can.

"Good. That was very ... uhhh ... bracing." Iroh grimaces. Zuko hands him another cup but Iroh throws out secretly behind his shoulder.

"Dante was here, Uncle, after what happened he stayed and made sure you be alright. He then left once he was sure." Zuko said.

"Hmm. I wished I could stay for tea but he I guess he's needed elsewhere. He wasn't one to simply sit still for too long." Iroh said.

Zuko nodded and shifted his thoughts over to another subject of greater importance. "So Uncle, I've been thinking. It's only a matter of time before I run into Azula again. I'm going to need to know more advanced firebending if I want to stand a chance against her. I know what you're going to say: she's my sister and I should be trying to get along with her."

Iroh disagreed, "No, she's crazy, and she needs to go down."

It was one thing when family members have this disagreements but when they are trying to hurt or killed you over something then it is best to prepare yourself battle.

With great effort Iroh stood up despite the pain. He was always stronger than he appeared. "It's time to resume your training."

::

Meanwhile back at the canyon Team Avatar stared at the boulder wondering what went wrong. Dante grabbed the boulder with both hands and lifted it up. He shifted it to hand and tapped it before he set it back down. "It's not the rock folks." The nephilim commented.

"Then I don't understand what went wrong. He did it exactly the way you did." Katara stated.

"Maybe there's another way ... what if I came at the boulder from another angle?" Aang purposed.

Toph suddenly stopped him in his tracks, again. "No. That's the problem. You've got to stop thinking like an airbender. There's no different angle, no clever solution, no trickety-trick that's going to move that rock. You've got to face it head on. And when I say head on, I mean like this ..." Toph Jumps up and destroys the rock with her head!

"Whoa!" Aang uttered.

"Damn!" Dante commented.

Toph begins to walk away, but Katara stops her. "I've been training Aang for a while now. He really responds well to a positive teaching experience. Lots of encouragement and praise. Kind words. If he's doing something wrong, maybe a gentle nudge in the right direction."

Toph nods in understanding. "Thanks, Katara. A gentle nudge. I'll try that."

What Katara didn't know then is that when Toph understands that this is the way to do things – she will NOT do later Toph's is yelling at the top of her lungs: "KEEP YOUR KNEES HIGH, TWINKLE TOES!"

Aang carrying a large rock on his back, struggling to hold it up. Toph stomps down and causing pillars of rock to rise underneath Aang's feet as he walks. Aang loses his balance and falls The next move shows Toph digging through rock with her fingers. Aang rubs his hands together and tries to do the same thing, but smashes his hand against the rock and grunts in pain.

Next Toph want Aang to get in a horse-stance and be ready for a surprise attack. "Rock-like!" Toph shouted suddenly leaping up from out of the ground causing Aang backwards. She caused a stone to jet from under Aang forcing him to his feet where she plucked his bald head in his failure.

Next, Toph gives Aang one of Sokka's weapons, much to Sokka's struggled to get his club back from Toph, who is holding it to the side and preventing Sokka from grabbing it. She shoves him backward and he stalks away in defeat. She hands the weapon to Aang. He is blindfolded as he tries to smash rocks Toph brings up. He finally gets one after about five times. Toph nods in approval for progress was being made.

During their next session, Toph creates a wall on either of them and builds herself into a shield of rock which Aang has to push back over a marked boundary. She slides toward him which puts up his hands to stop her. with great effort he was able to push her back all the way. Dante smiles as he watches from on top rock while munching on fruit happy that Aang's training begins to move along smoothly.

In another training session Aang is standing on two pillars of earth tossing a rock ring into the air while switching hands to catch it each time. Toph walks between the two pillars of earth and uses earthbending to shake the pillars.

"Rock-like!"

Aang holding a solid stance without losing his balance. Toph appears on a pillar near him and nods. Aang smiles, knowing he is finally getting the hang of it.

::

Katara went to see how Dante and found him by the pond bouncing a rock in the air by plumping his knees.

"What are you doing?" Katara asked with curiosity

"Practicing. Seeing Aang learning Earthbending made me want to perfect mine."

"Oh. I want to ask you a question if you're not that busy."

"No problem, ask away."

"Okay … how is your friend doing?"

Dante stopped and caught the rock on his foot. He launched it into the air and caught it with one hand.

"He's fine."

"Are you sure? It just you seemed terrified that he could have died."

"Well he didn't. The old man has been through worst, much worst."

"Well … You told us to_ '_Get back into the tank.'"

"Ya' know you ask too many questions. You're digging in places you need to stay out of."

"Someone has to be concern about everyone. Especially if one of us stays behind to help some who is with some like Zuko."

Dante sat down by a rock and rubbed his forehead. "I need to cool off."

Moments later Katara and Dante stripped down to their undergarments and dove into the pond and swam in the cool water. They popped their heads up and went over to a rock sighed in relief as they rested against it.

"Your hair is black again." Katara took notice.

"Huh, oh. Yeah. Decided to use my powers to hide my snow-white hair. So I went back to my natural look."

"So this is your natural hair color."

"Yup."

"Huh … I like it."

Dante closed his eyes and smiled inwardly. After a moment of silence Dante began to open up a little."Years ago I was given command of a tank and crew. We were part of the invasion force that laid siege to Ba Sing Se."

"I see." Katara said understandingly.

Dante cupped some water in his hand and caused it to rise out of his hand in a ball of water in the air. "The crew was a mixed bag to say the least. But they were good, loyal even to a fault. One in particular was a man name Lu Ten. He is the son of the Dragon of the West. General Iroh. The guy was a good friend and had a lot to look forward to. For instance Lu Ten wanted to marry the girl he loved after the war was over. So I decided to look out for him for the sake of future fiancee and his father the General."

Dante became silent as he there was sadness in his expression.

"What happened?" Katara asked.

"I failed, that's what happened. Lu Ten was killed. At that point I just lost all hope to fight for the Fire Nation. The money they would pay me didn't ease my failure. I carried Lu Ten back to Iroh knowing that he would be crushed. But it was least I could do."

Katara listen to the sad story. She knew he wasn't telling the whole story, there were some details he was leaving out, but she wasn't going to press it. "Dante, you didn't fail. Sometimes things happen, even in war that we have no control over. You can't give up just because you think you had no control."

Dante glared at her. "I'm a Firebender. I like every other one knows that the element we control is extremely dangerous when we lose control. An enraged firebender could reduce everyone in the room to ash if he is skilled enough. But what fuel our fire are our emotions. If I lose my cool I could hurt innocent people. I don't expect a Waterbender to understand a firebender. I don't expect you to understand me."

"Then help me to understand you." Katara urged him a little to be open.

"Why do you want to understand someone of a people who could destroy a home in a blink of an eye?" Dante asked.

Katara moved closer to and looked him. "Because you sound like someone who cares about the lives people, even if they are one the other side in a war. That is noble."

Dante rolled his eyes. But he knew she was right. They got out of the water and dried off. Katara could sense he was still troubled but he was feeling a little now. They returned back to see how Aang training was coming along.

In another part of the canyon, Sokka is looking for food in a tree when he stumbles upon an cute cub munching on a small tuff of grass.

"You're awfully cute, but unfortunately you're made of meat. Just a bit closer ..." he jumps but falls into a crack that is in the ground. He looks at the strange cub. "Gotcha!" He swings his club but sinks further in. he stares at the club who wimps it's small tail ready to pounce on him. "You are one lucky little meat creature." He stated.

::

Back at Iroh and Zuko's camp in the abandon house Zuko's advanced training is underway with a lesson of the most dangerous Firebending technique: _Lightning_.

"Lightning is a pure form of firebending, without aggression. It is not fueled by rage or emotion the way other firebending is. Some call lightning the cold-blooded fire. It is precise and deadly, like Azula. To perform the technique requires peace of mind." Iroh passes Zuko a fresh cup of tea that he.

"I see. That's why we're drinking tea, to calm the mind." said Zuko.

"Oh yeah, good point! I mean, yes." correct Iroh. That last pot of tea his nephew made was just horrible.

Afterwards the walked outside the edge of the cliff they were on. There is energy all around us. The energy is both yin and yang. Positive energy and negative energy. Only a select few firebenders can separate these energies. This creates an _imbalance_. The energy wants to restore _balance_, and in a moment the positive and negative energy come crashing back together, you provide release and guidance, creating lightning."

Iroh motion Zuko to take a step back to give him some room. Iroh brings his hands together and generates lightning on both his pointer and middle fingers. He arched one over and the other under in a circle before touching them together and shoots it away from the two beautiful flash and bang with a distance sound of thunder echoing in the distance.

"I'm ready to try it!" Zuko says excitedly.

Iroh rumbles his bandaged shoulder. "Remember, once you separate the energy, you do not command it. You are simply its humble guide. Breathe first."

Zuko takes a deep breath. He tries to generate lightning, but instead an explosion launches him back. Iroh shakes his head in disappointment. Every firebender that could do lightning never got it on their first try.

::

Back at the canyon, Aang's earthbending training continues with Toph coming up with a new idea to try.

"This time we're going to try something a little different. Instead of moving a rock, you're going to stop a rock. Get in your horse stance! I'm going to roll that boulder down at you. If you have the attitude of an earthbender, you'll stay in your stance and stop the rock. Like this!" Toph stretches out her hand while, still in horse stance to demonstrate. Aang is shocked to see the boulder so far and high up on the cliff with a rolling path from the boulder all the way to Aang.

Katara along with Dante and V watch from the side. Katara didn't hesitate to voice her concern about this training exercise. "Sorry Toph, but are you really sure this is the way to teach Aang earthbending?

"I'm glad you said something. Actually there is a better way." Toph nabs a cloths around Aang's waist and blind folds him with it. "This way, you'll actually have to sense the vibrations of the boulder to stop it. Thank you, Katara."

"Yeah, thanks, Katara!" Aang replied sarcastically.

Katara chuckled nervously as Dante and V looked straight at her with a disapproving look. She might as well sign Aang's death sentence.

Toph stood at the top of the hill with Aang at the bottom. She shoves the rock forward and it begins to roll down the slope. Aang looks worried and afraid as it rolls toward him. He finally jumps over the boulder at the last second, causing it to roll past and crash into the cliff. Toph comes running toward Aang. Aang removed the blindfold and saw Toph glaring angrily directly at him with her milky green eyes.

"I guess I just panicked. I don't know what to say." Aang tried to come up with an excuse. But Toph was not having any of it.

"There's nothing to say, you blew it! You had a perfect stance, and a perfect form. But when it came right down to it, you didn't have the guts!" She stated bluntly.

"I know. I'm sorry." Aang said disappointedly.

"Yeah, you _are_ sorry! If you're not tough enough to stop the rock, then you can at least give it the pleasure of smashing you instead of jumping out of the way like a jelly-boned bitch! Now, do you have what it takes to face that rock like an earthbender?" Toph shouted at him.

"No, I don't think I do." Aang admitted.

Katara quickly tried to get Aang to cheer up. "Aang, it's no big deal. You'll take a break and try earthbending again when you're ready. Besides, you still have a lot of waterbending to work on. Okay?"

"Yeah, that sounds good." Aang said miserably and followed Katara. As if it would help with his earthbending.

"Yeah, whatever, go splash around until you feel better." Toph said uncaringly.

Dante followed after Toph in the other direction. V looked over and saw Griffon lying flat on the ground in the path of the boulder that rolled over him. He walked over and poked Griffon with is still alive.

::

Back to Zuko and Iroh's camp Zuko attempt once more to generate lightning but fails with explosive results.

*BOOM!*

Zuko sits up after being blasted back on his back for the umpteenth time. "Why can't I do it? Instead of lightning it keeps exploding in my face ... like everything always does."

Iroh exhaled as he finished his mediation and walked over to his nephew. "I was afraid this might happen. You will not be able to master lightning until you have dealt with the turmoil inside you."

"What turmoil?"

"Zuko, you must let go of your feelings of shame if you want your anger to go away."

"But I don't feel any shame at all. I'm as proud as ever."

"Prince Zuko, pride is not the opposite of shame, but its source. True humility is the only antidote to shame."

"Well, my life has been nothing but humbling lately."

There is an old saying: Pride before your fall; meaning is that when someone like a soldier is tasked with a very important task that may cost them their life they must do everything in their power to ensure that the task is complete one-hundred percent. However, if at a certain point the mission will fail the soldier has the option to fight on until he falls, or he takes his own life to safeguard any secrets he himself knows. If he lives and returns to base having failed the mission some may call him a coward for not doing what must be done. Honor sinks into pride which sinks into shame in a never-ending spiral down in defeat. But through humility they began to see the bigger picture. One may fail at a task but that doesn't mean they have resigned from it either. With that in mind Iroh gets an idea. "I have another idea. I will teach you a firebending move that even Azula doesn't know, because I made it up myself." Iroh said cheering Zuko up.

::

Meanwhile Sokka remains trapped with the small, brown cub sleeping on his head. "You probably think I deserve this, don't you? Look, I'm sorry I hunted you, but that's just the natural order of things. Big things eat smaller things, nothing personal. But this time it didn't work out that way. I admit it ... you're cute. Okay, you convinced me, if I get out of this alive, it's a karmically correct, vegetarian existence for me. No meat. Even though meat is so tasty."

The cub jumps off his head to bring him an apple. "Hey, looks like my karma is already paying off! That's okay, I got it." He tosses his boomerang at it in a desperate attempt. "Now, come back boomerang."

Elsewhere Toph relaxed on a stone chair she made in the shade of the cliff. Dante came over to see how she was doing.

"Hey." Dante said.

"Hey." Toph said.

"What 'cha looking at?" He asked.

Toph shifted her feet a little in the dirt. "Ants marching in and out of an ant hill."

"Oh. You mind if I sit?"

Toph created another stone chair beside her. Dante sat down and took off his sandals and put them on the cool dirt in the shade.

"Maybe your being a little too hard on Aang."

"Don't tell me that you're a jelly-boned bitch now too." Toph rolled her blind eyes.

"No, of course not. What I saying is that the guy may need a moment t before tackling the rocks – and you again."

"Well to me he gave and ran off somewhere. He doesn't have what it tasks to learn Earthbending."

"Sound like Tobi."

"Who is Tobi?"

"He was a turret operator in the Sabertooth Tiger tank I commanded. Tobi believed that Hozan, another member of the tank crew was unfit … damaged."

Dante began to tell Toph the story of his days as a tank commander.

::

**THEN**

They came under attack by Earthkingdom soldiers seeking to put one of the fire tanks out of business. The stomped the ground to create fissures to flip them over and launched giant boulders to at them to crush them. Lu'ten was a skilled driver and evaded the attacks the drove down a town in the Earth kingdom near the desert. With a sharp turn Lu'ten drove them safely into the cover of a ruined building. They waited as the Earth Soldier ran past. They manage to get far enough ahead to for them to vanish quickly.

Dante sighed. "Check for damages."

"Yes Commander." Tobi acknowledged.

Dante climbed down to the driver's seat under the turret to Lu'ten.

"Status report?"

"This cover's not going to last. Someone has to scout a way through."

"Send Hozan."

Dante and Lu'ten turned to Tobi who overheard the current situation and came up with a easy solution. A solution Lu'ten was disgusted to hear.

"What the hell are you talking about? The Man is in no state to be-."

Tobi got closer to Dante as spoke. "Trust in our strength, Commander. That's what you said, right? No weakness, No sentimentality."

"Oh, for Goodness sake." Lu'ten huffed.

"You are too important to risk. And I operate the gun."

"Then I'll do it." Lu'ten decided but his request was denied.

"No, you have to drive. The merc works with the ammunition with a steady hand. But Hozan – He's damaged. Expendable."

Dante was silent as he went through the opinion in his head. This tank had to get back to HQ in this sector and it needs all the parts of the whole working together but also works a top level. Dante had to choose what must be chosen if he is able to get his men out of this alive.

"Hozan!"

Hozan answered and came around to see what the commander wants him to do.

"Get out of the panzer. Scout us a way out of here."

Hozan became horrified at what he was being ordered to do.

"By the Avatar, Sparda. No! The man is in no state!" Lu'ten exclaimed angrily.

Hozan looked if he was about to break into a thousand pieces as if he were man of glass.

"I can't. Please, Dante. I really can't-"

"Get out of the panzer, Hozan. I'm asking you to do your duty."

Dante handed Hozan a spare sword just in case he ran into trouble. Hozan looked at his commanding officer and obeyed. Dante gave him a look that rid Hozan of any doubt. As he exited the Tank Lu'ten hit the steering wheel in anger.

"That goes for all of you." Dante reminded them.

Dante believed he choose a selfless opinion to this problem. All the boy had to do was go out there, make sure the coast was clear and returned back. It was easy.

Outside Hozan went from cover to cover holding the unsheathed sword in case of trouble, search for a way out. All the while shivering like a little lamb walking in to a slaughter house alone. Tobi watched Hozan from the scope of the turret turning it to follow him. Tobi never hated Hozan as a person but he hated his weakness. This why Hozan may find his courage if he does this small task and returned to the tank.

Hozan finally made it to wall that was at the street. He paused fro moment to collect himself before peeking out and looking through the window. Tobi adjusted the magnification of the scope to see Hozan better. Hozan looked terrified as if he saw something out there.

A cloud of dust went past the scope and obscured the tank crew's sight of Hozan. After it past Hozan was nowhere to be seen.

"Where is Hozan? Where did he go?" Lu'ten asked if anyone got eyes on their friend.

"He deserted!" Tobi could not believe it.

"You don't know that!" Lu'ten protested.

"Quiet!" Dante ordered.

The was a deep rumbling that was slowly getting more intense. The spare bolts that were sitting on a shelf began to shake from the vibrations. Something big was coming.

"Movement in the west!" Tobi informed.

"And in the North!" Lu'ten added.

Dante looked through the viewing port to s a large convoy of Earth Troops marching and creating tremor to collapse ruined building. They may flatten this whole neighborhood to root up any survivors!

"Lu'ten! Get us out of here!" Dante ordered.

"We can't leave Hozan here!" Lu'ten protested.

"Get us out! Go!" Dante repeated. Lu'ten obeyed shifted in reverse and driving the tank out backwards and out another way.

::

**NOW**

Toph had listened to the story and thought about Hozan that ran off. "Why didn't he run back to the tank if that was the safe place?"

"See the advancing Earth soldiers must have spooked him so bad that he ran in the different direction." answered Dante.

"Well Aang isn't as damaged as that guy."

"Not in that way, no he isn't. But perhaps you could motivate in another way If the teaching has to straightforward and head-on then maybe the motivation doesn't have to head-on."

"Yeah I can do that. I'm going to grab his nuts."

Dante nodded. "Hmmm … Wait, what?"

"I'm going to GRAB his nuts and I'm going EAT his nuts until I'm fully satisfied!" Toph shouted while walking away with a fist in the air and smile on her face.

"Hmmm … I told her a war story, and she decided to improve her motivation skills which sounds like she will perform hardcore femdom sex on poor Aang. I'm I a bad person?" Dante asked himself outloud.

"Too soon to tell. Said V as he walked in front of Dante's field of vision while taking a walk.

::

Meanwhile back in the pond in another part of the canyon. Momo tries to grab a frog and fails like the furry dunce he is. Aang and Katara move a single blob of water back and forth among each other in a circular motion. Therapy in Waterbending cause Dante to feel better so why not Aang.

"You know this block you're having is only temporary, right?"

"I don't want to talk about it."

"You do realize that's the problem, don't you? If you face this issue instead of avoiding it–"

"I know, I know, I know, I know! I get it, all right? I need to face it head on like a rock, but I just can't do it. I don't know why I can't, but I can't."

"Aang, if fire and water are opposites, then what's the opposite of air?"

Aang looked down at his refection in the now still pond water. "I guess it's earth."

"That's why it's so difficult for you to get this. You're working with your natural opposite. But you'll figure it out. I know you will. Think fast!" Katara suddenly throws a piece of how stalk-like grass at him, but Aang slices it in have with waterbending. "Excellent. You have the reflexes of a waterbending master."

"Thanks, Katara. _Sifu_Katara."

Aang bows in respect to his waterbending teacher. Katara smiles and also bows at Aang. He was now mastered Waterbending. But he's not a master yet.

::

Back to Iroh and Zuko's camp the dragon of the west decides to teach him a secret technique. But first he teaches him the know ledge of the four elements and the Four nations.

Iroh draws the firebending insignia in the dirt.

"**Fire** is the element of power. The people of the Fire Nation have desire and will, and the energy to drive and achieve what they want."

Next he draws the earthbending insignia.

"**Earth** is the element of substance. The people of the Earth Kingdom are diverse and strong. They are persistent and enduring.

After that draws the airbending insignia.

**Air** is the element of freedom. The Air Nomads detached themselves from worldly concerns and found peace and freedom. Also, they apparently had pretty good senses of humor!" Iroh smiles widely for emphasis. Zuko stares blankly at his uncle. Iroh moves on drawing the waterbending insignia.

"**Water** is the element of change. The people of the Water Tribe are capable of adapting too many things. They have a deep sense of community and love that holds them together through anything."

"Why are you telling me these things?" asked Zuko.

"It is important to draw wisdom from many different places. If you take it from only one place, it becomes rigid and stale." Iroh divides the four insignias into separate sections. "Understanding others, the other elements, and the other nations will help you become whole." Iroh finallydraws a circle around the insignias.

"All this four elements talk is sounding like Avatar stuff."

"It is the combination of the four elements in one person that makes the Avatar so powerful. But it can make you more powerful, too. You see the technique I'm about to teach you is one I learned by studying the waterbenders."

_Waterbenders who would have thought._ Zuko thought to himself.

::

Back to the campsite. Aang is meditating when Toph appears to try that soft-core version of her motivation skills.

"Aang, I found these **nuts** in your **bag**. I figured you wouldn't mind. And besides, even if you did, you're too much of a pushover to do anything about it."

"As a matter of fact, I don't mind. I'm happy to share anything I have."

"You know, I'm really glad you feel that way. Because I also have this great new nutcracker."

She spins Aang's staff above her head. Aang looks over his shoulder with a pained expression on his face. Toph smiles widely, lifts the staff, and starts using it to break nutshells. Jerking Aang hard.

"Actually, I prefer if you didn't ..." *_Crack.*_ "That's an antique, handcrafted by the monks" ..." *_Crack!_* It's a delicate instrument! *CRACK!*

"It's not the only delicate instrument around here." Toph jabbed at Aang's personality as she and Momo ate the nuts. Walks away with his **nut-sack** while hitting the staff off rocks. Aang resumes meditating only to be interrupted by Katara.

"Hey Aang, have you seen–"

"Meditating here!"

"It's important. It's almost sundown and Sokka isn't back yet. I think we should search for him."

Aang got to his feet, concern for Katara's brother. "We'll find him faster if we split up."

::

The two begin to search for Sokka while he … waited. The only thing he could do was tilt his head up to the sky to the revered Creator and ask for help.

"Okay, karma person or thing, whoever's in charge of this stuff. If I can just get out of this situation alive, I will give up meat and sarcasm. Okay?" Sokka's warrior's wolf tail gets yanked out of his hair by the cub. "Ow! That's all I got. It's pretty much my whole identity. Sokka, the meat and sarcasm guy. But I'm willing to be Sokka, the veggies and straight talk fellow. Deal?" Sokka sees Aang show up and is at tears if not wits end. "Aang! Thank goodness! Have you got any meat?" Far away in space the Creator relaxed at the sight of a bright and colorful neutron star while reclining backwards on nebula.

"_**Hypocrite**_." the Creator rolled his eyes. If one wasn't going to be serious about an issue then they should make such a vow. He heard what Sokka said until Aang showed up. But if he hadn't created Sokka as meat and sarcasm guy he would be very dull.

Back the Sokka's dilemma he was so glad to see his good friend the Avatar.

"Sokka! Are you okay?"

Aang tries to pull Sokka out. Sokka screams from the pain.

"Aggh, stop, stop! You're going to pull my fingers off and I don't think the rest of me is coming out!"

"Hmmm ... I bet I can airbend you out of here."

Aang blows up a gust of wind but Sokka remains trapped though his hair is now standing straight up.

"Seriously Aang, I know you're new at it, but I could use a little earthbending here. How about it?"

Aang became sad and quiet as he was asked to do something he couldn't do at the moment.

"I can't ... I can't do it."

"Well, if you can't earthbend me out of here, go get Toph."

"I can't do that either."

"You can't? Why not?"

"It would just be really ... uncomfortable."

"Uncomfortable? Well, I wouldn't want you to feel uncomfortable ..." Sokka said sarcastically, finding it ironic.

"Thanks, Sokka. This whole earthbending thing really has me confused. There's so much pressure. Everyone expects me to get it right away. It puts me in a really awkward position."

"Awkward position, I think I know the feeling."

"If I try, I fail. If I don't try, I'm never going to get it. I feel like I'm caught between a rock and a hard place."

"Hmmm ... how about that. Aang, this is my friend, Foo FooCuddlypoops. Foo FooCuddlypoops, Aang." Sokka introduced Aang to the club that kept Sokka company while he was stuck in the ground.

"Awww, what a cute name for a baby saber-tooth moose-lion cub."

Sokka the realized he may have made a mistake. "Really? He looks nothing like a saber-tooth moose-lion."

"It's hard to tell before their giant teeth and horns grow in. What are you doing out here little guy? Did you lose your mama?"

Suddenly, a large moose-lion appears. It just went from bad to worst.

::

Meanwhile Zuko learned from Iroh by doing a form motion with him like to Waterbenders moving a blob of water in a circle.

Waterbenders deal with the flow of energy. A Waterbender lets their defense become their offense, turning their opponents' energy against them. I learned a way to do this with lightning.

"You can teach me to redirect lightning?" Zuko asked in surprise.

Iroh nodded. "If you let the energy in your own body flow, the lightning will follow it. You must create a pathway from your fingertips, up your arm to your shoulder, then down into your stomach. The stomach is the source of energy in your body. It is called the sea of chi. Only in my case it is more like a vast ocean." Iroh throats his head back and laughs. "From the stomach, you direct it up again, and out the other arm. The stomach detour is critical. You must not let the lightning pass through your heart, or the damage could be deadly. You may wish to try a physical motion, to get a feel for the pathways' flow, like this." The two begin to practice the redirection motion. "Now, are you focusing your energy? Can you feel your own chi flowing in, down, up, and out?"

Zuko nodded. "I think so." But he was unsure.

"Come on, you've got to feel the flow." Iroh urged his nephew by making a wave motion with his arms.

They practice the motion for a few minutes until it was perfect. "Excellent! You've got it!"

"Great, I'm ready to try it with real lightning!" Zuko said ready as ever.

"What, are you crazy? Lightning is very dangerous!"

"I thought that was the point! You teaching me to protect myself from it!"

"Yeah! But I'm not going to shoot lightning at you! If you're lucky, you will never have to use this technique at all!"

"Well, if you won't help me, I'll find my own lightning."

Zuko then rides off to the sight of dark clouds and the sound of thunder in the distance.

::

Back to the canyon, Aang begins to talk to the saber-tooth moose-lion mother. Or at least trying to.

"Hey there, we found your cub! See, we have no problem with you! We're friendly!"

"Aang, this is bad, you've got to get me out of here!"

The moose-lion charges at Sokka, but Aang sends it over his head with airbending.

"This is really bad! Please Aang, you have to earthbend me out, there's no other way!"

Aang tries, but all his attempts produce nothing. "Oh no!" Gets on top of a rock to try and distract the saber-tooth moose-lion with a dance. "Woo-hoo, look at me!"

It didn't work. The moose-lion charges again but is again held off. Sokka was wetting himself at this point not knowing what to do being trapped in a hole. "Please, don't leave me again."

"I won't." Something in Aang finally clicked when he heard the plea of his friend who is in trouble and the He stands his ground, and at the last second, throws the moose-lion back with a blast of air.

Aang airbended like an Earthbender The beast leaves. Suddenly, slight clapping can be heard. Toph and Dante were sitting on a rock nearby.

"What are you two doing here?"

"Just enjoying your misery." Dante answered.

"What? You were there the whole time?" Aang asked.

"Pretty much." Replied Toph.

"Why didn't either of you do something? Sokka was in trouble! I was in trouble! You could have gotten him out and helped us get away!"

"Guess it just didn't occur to us." Toph shrugged with a uncaring attitude.

Dante throws a nut down and Toph attempts to crack it with the staff. But Aang stops her by running over and grabbing hold of the staff.

"Enough! I want my staff back!" Aang demanded angrily. Toph release her grip on his staff. It was time for the big earthshaking climax.

"Do it now!"

"What?"

"Earthbend, Twinkle Toes. You just stood your ground against a crazy beast. And even more impressive, you stood your ground against me. You've got stuff."

"But–"

"DO IT!"

Wasting no time Aang slams the ground and sends a rock into the canyon wall. "You did it! You're an earthbender." Toph congratulated him on a job well done.

"I can't believe it!" Aang exclaimed.

"I can." Dante said cracking the nut open again another one.

"Awww, this is a really wonderful, touching moment. So could you get me out of here so I can give you both a big, snuggly hug?" Sokka asked with his famous sarcasm.

"No problem, Sokka!" Aang said happily

"Actually, you should probably let me do that. You're still a little new to this. You might accidentally crush him." Toph to the lead.

"Yeah, no crushing, please."

Toph kicks up the Earth under Sokka's feet and yanks him out. So easy, so simple. Aang and Sokka wondered if Toph planned this thing out.

Nightfall finally comes and Katara and V meet up with them. "You found him!" Katara embrace her brother. Sokka had to tell Katara something he discovers that was important. "The whole time, I was in that hole, not knowing if I was going to live or die. It makes a man to think about what's really important. I realized–"

"Hey Katara, look what I can do!" Aang interrupted Sokka and Bends a rock and slams it on the ground.

"You did it! I knew you would!" Katara leaned over to Toph to whisper to her. "You tried the positive reinforcement, didn't you?"

"Yep, it worked wonders." Toph half-lied, but Katara was right sometimes everyone needs a little help.

Aang ran over to Appa to tell him the good news. "Appa, Appa, I can earthbend now! The key is being completely rooted. Physically and mentally unmovable!" Appa was so proud he licks Aang and sends him flying a few feet. Sokka laughs hysterically, and Aang laughs as well.

As the night came so too a might storm with it. Toph carved out a hole in the rock big enough for Appa and everyone else to sleep in out of the rain. However there is one walked out into the heavy torrent.

"Dante?" Katara asked causing everyone to turn their attention to Dante who stood out in the middle of the flat open part of the canyon.

"Dante, what are you doing trying to get struck by lightning?" Sokka shouted.

"He's going to bend the lightning." Said V who was reading his book.

Everyone looked at V as he explained. "Lightning is said to be the purest form of fire in nature, without aggression. It is not fueled by rage or emotion the way other firebending is. Dante only does it to perfect his way of fighting."

Dante stood still as he looked up at the sky as the storm poured the down upon him. He breathed in deeply and exhaled; He repeated the process to bring his chi back into alignment until he was ready. Finally he hands together and generates lightning on both his pointer and middle fingers simultaneously. He arched one over and the other under in a circle before touching them together and shoots it away from the two beautiful flash and bang with a distance sound of thunder echoing in the distance.

::

Meanwhile, Zuko has tracked down a storm, seeking lightning. He went to the highest point in the hills and stood before the storm. Yelling as loud as he can at the storm, demanding the storm to strike at him

"You've always thrown everything you could at me! Well, I can take it, and now I CAN GIVE IT BACK!"

He sees several flashes in the distance in various locations but none struck him. Enraged he yells at the storm again.

"COME ON, STRIKE ME! YOU'VE NEVER HELD BACK BEFORE!"

His eyes search the heavens for the answer he wanted – but no lightning strikes. Tears stream down Zuko's cheeks, and he yells at the top of his lungs.

Throughout creation mortals have stood before the might of the storm thing that if they did the lord of storm will answer them. However there was one listening but they gave no answer for them because in an enraged state they may not accept it. However once they calmed down the answer will come. For some it came sooner than they think.

As the morning tide came Zuko awoke to someone talking to him.

_Zuko_

Zuko's eyes opened and he looked around him and he found he was lying on his back on the hill where he was last night. He was covered in mud; he tried to move but found it difficult to move. Then he saw a young boy walking around him. For second he thought it was the Avatar. No it was a young boy with shave hair in a robes of the locate desert dwells.

"Help me, I can't move." Zuko called out.

The boy stopped till he was at his feet. "Among other things." The boy said.

"What did you say … who are you?" Zuko asked.

The child took some stones into his hand and shuffled them around.

"Who are _you_?" the boy asked.

"I'm nobody." Zuko answered.

"I thought you were a prince." The boy said.

Zuko was speechless. The boy knows who he is and is not going to kill him or throw insults at him. The boy took a seat on a rock and began to play with the rocks by earthbending them in a circle in air his hand.

"You were once a Prince of the Fire Nation. Until you father cast you out for having a back bone. But there is way to get back into the Fire Nation and reclaim your birth right however your sister Azula will stop you. The only way you ever get back is with the Avatar. But the Avatar is getting stronger now that he is learning Earthbending. But I think I can help. _What say you_?"

Zuko gasped as he awoke with a start. He found himself back in the house where he and Iroh sleeping in. the sun was righting and Zuko wasn't drenched from the storm late night anymore. He wondered who that weird child he was talking to in that dream.

Elsewhere Aang was dreaming as well. A flash of lightning crackled across the sky startling everyone. They stood up and saw a man dressed in shadowy clothing stand there with lighting crashing all around them with the winds howling as is the world was ending.

"Who are you?" Aang shouted loud enough for the stranger to hear.

The stranger didn't reply back. Instead he moved his cloak to reveal the cane sword in his hand absorbing the power of the storm . . . a cane sword known as the Yamato.

Aang opened his eyes and it was morning and he saw a butterfly flutter overhead. Everyone awoke yawning and stretching in the sun. They had a good night and were ready for the new day.

"Aang are you ready?" V said as he popping his back.

"Yeah but … I had the weirdest dream. A stranger came with a cane sword came for us."

"I was only a dream." Sokka said scratching his stomach.

"But if felt different. It felt real … It felt like … the future." Aang said. Katara had a look of concern on her face.

"Then we will worry about it tomorrow. Today, there are still things we can do." Dante stated.

"I thought the key to life to do what you can do what you can today so you don't have to do it tomorrow. Or Why do today what you can put off 'till tomorrow!" Sokka said a cocky attitude.

V then asked a question that Sokka could not answer: "**What is today but yesterday is tomorrow?**"

"Huh?" Sokka blinked for a moment before answering the question.

::

**Authors Note:**

**So who are the mystery characters in Zuko and Aang's dreams? And no, it is not Loki or Thor!**

**I am thinking on doing do a DmC Devil May Cry crossover with God of War 4 in the future. After I buy and play the game of course.**

**I know you guys want to see DmC Dante as Viking fighting alongside Kratos, Atreus and Mimir. Don't lie I KNOW YOU GUYS DO!**

**Does anyone think Atreus and Aang sound alike?**


	10. Chapter 10

**BOOK TWO: EARTH**

**CHAPTER 10: THE LIBRARY**

::

::

Aang sat cross legged on a prairie on the ground looking over a vast open savanna landscape with a range of mountains can be seen in the distance the distance. The landscape is mostly barren save for small shoots of grass which bend in the breeze. The ground in front of Aang is littered with holes but somehow he is fascinated by them and for what lies beneath. Everyone walks over to see what it is up. Aang is holding a thin wooden flute in both hands ready to play a tune.

"What's out here?" Sokka asked.

Toph puts her hand on the ground. "A lot, actually. There's hundreds of little ..."

Aang turns around and silences Toph. "Shh! I know you can see underground, but don't ruin the surprise. Just watch." Aang blows a note on the flute. A groundhog-type creature pops out of a hole in the ground and mimics the note. "Yeah! Plays another note and another groundhog mimics it. "I'm putting an orchestra together!"

Sokka looking on with annoyance, "Orchestra, huh? Well, la-di-da."

Three groundhogs pop out of the ground and sing descending notes. Momo jumps into a hole and comes out the middle one, trying to catch the groundhogs. Aang plays four notes and Momo tries to catch the groundhogs that pop up. Aang plays another note as Sokka runs up to Aang and plugs the flute with his finger, causing nothing to play. As Aang's cheeks swell with air, Aang looks at Sokka with a sad expression.

"This is great and all, but don't we have more important things to worry about? We should be making plans."

"We _did_ make plans. We're all picking mini-vacations." Toph chimed in.

"There's no time for vacations." Sokka reminded them.

"I'm learning the elements as fast as I can. I practice hard every day with Toph and Katara. I've been training my arrow off!" Aang defended honestly.

"Yeah, what's wrong with having a little fun in our down time?" Katara asked.

"Even if you do master all of the elements, then what? It's not like we have a map of the Fire Nation. Should we just head west until we reach the Fire Lord's house? Knock, knock. Hello, Fire Lord? Anybody home? I don't think so. We need some intelligence if we're going to win this war." Sokka stated.

Aang plays a note on the flute and a groundhog pops up underneath Sokka and sings the note.

"All right, we'll finish our vacations and … then we'll look for Sokka's intelligence." Katara mocked her brother.

"I'm sure it's around her somewhere. Here Sokka's intelligence, Here Boy." Dante whistled which caused a groundhog to pop up and sing the note.

"Your turn, Katara. Where would you like to go on your mini-vacation?"Aang opened a map and shows it to Katara.

"How about the Misty Palms Oasis? That sounds refreshing." Katara choose the location.

"Oh, yeah, Dante and I been there. It's a pristine natural ice spring. And I usually don't use the word "pristine". It's one of nature's wonders."

::

**Misty Palm Oasis**

Team Avatarstares at the oasis in utter disappointment. It is little more than a rundown dust town with a small ice spring in the center.

Aang laughs sheepishly._ "_Must've changed ownership since we were here."

"Things do seem better during the days of our youth." V commented in a poetic verse.

They walk through the entrance and the hanging sign falls down. Team Avatar walking past the small ice spring. They walk into the bar and pass five sandbenders hanging around outside. One sandbender spits at Sokka's feet. Sokka looks at the man angrily. The man utters a raspy groan, slurps, and chuckles. Katara grabs Sokka and pulls him into the bar, which is filled with weary travelers.

"What a retched gathering of scum and villainy." V said.

"The bar I went two on Tatooine was better that this." Dante added.

The bartender uses two swords to slice a bowl from a large chunk of ice. He cuts down some mangos from the overhanging fruit and dices them up. He chops up a piece of fruit and pours a jug of milk into the bowl, still using the swords. He throws a decorative umbrella and straw into the bowl and serves it to a gentleman, who gives the bartender a coin.

"I don't see anything wrong with having one of those fruity beverages while we plan our strategy." Sokka runs up to the bartender.

The gentleman bumps into Aang and spills his drink onto the Airbender.

"No worries, I clean up easy." Aang airbends the drink off of his clothes.

"You're a living relic." The gentlemen gasped.

"Thanks, I try." Aang shrugs.

"An Air Nomad, right in front of me. Professor Zei, head of anthropology at Ba Sing Se University. Tell me, which of the air temples do you hail from?" Zei asked while he grabs Aang's arm and points at his arrow tattoo.

"The Southern Temple."

"Oh, splendid! Now tell me- what was the primary agricultural product of your people?"

"Uh, are fruit pies an agricultural product?"

"Oh, truly fascinating. That is one for the journal."

While Sokka speaks, Zei writes in his journal.

"So Professor, you're obviously a well-traveled guy. Do you have a more current map? Ours seems to be a little dated."

"Certainly."

Sokka unrolls a map on a table and examines. Toph sips her drink and props her legs on another chair. Dante and V sips from their drinks while Griffon munches on a bowl of nuts at the bar.

"What, no Fire Nation? Doesn't anybody have a good map of that place?" Sokka asked out loud.

"Well since the war began the Motherland or the Firebenders isn't going to be open to just anyone. Only people with a legit reason are allowed inside. So to answer your question … No." V said.

"You've made a lot of trips into the desert." Katara examines the map.

All in vain, I'm afraid. I've found lost civilizations all over the Earth Kingdom, but I haven't managed to find the crown jewel: Wan Shi Tong's Library."

"You spent years walking through the desert to find some guy's library?" Toph asked in disbelief.

"This library is more valuable than gold, little lady. It is said to contain a vast collection of knowledge, and knowledge is priceless."

"Hmm, sounds like good times." Toph replied sarcastically.

"Oh, it is. According to legend, it was built by the great Knowledge Spirit, Wan Shi Tong, with the help of his "foxy" knowledge seekers."

"Oh, so this spirit has attractive assistants, huh?" Sokka hoping to gets some action.

"I think he means they look like actual foxes, Sokka." Katara burst his bubble.

"You're both right. Handsome little creatures. " Zei corrected causing Katara and Sokka turn to him in surprise.

"I remembered sexy vixen, an anthro furry kitsune, who helped me when I contracted to assassinate corrupted politician who was visiting a brothel. It took two weeks to complete it … though I found the guy on the first day. Two weeks of lavish silk bliss with her. Good times." Dante said.

Toph raised her brow upon hearing the story. She was being to like Dante for his daring and party hard attitude to life. Zei takes out a drawing of the library and places it on the table. "Anyway Wan Shi Tong and his knowledge seekers collected books from all over the world, and put them on display for mankind to read, so that we might better ourselves."

"If this place has books from all over the world, do you think they've got info on the Fire Nation? A map, maybe?" Aang asked.

"I wouldn't know. But if such a thing exists, it's in Wan Shi Tong's Library."

Then it's settled. Aang, I do believe it's my turn. I'd like to spend my vacation … AT THE LIBRARY! Sokka as he points his finger into the air dramatically with his voice echoing.

Toph waved her hand to gain the others attention._ "_Uh, hey, what about me? When do I get to pick?"

"You gotta work here a little longer before you qualify for vacation time." Sokka quoted a verse from Team Avatar contract of hire.

"Hmph!"Slams her drink on the table and folds her arms.

Of course, there's the matter of finding it. I've made several trips into the Si Wong Desert and almost died each time. I'm afraid that desert's impossible to cross._ Zei _said in a depressed voice.

"Professor, would you like to see our sky bison?" Sokka decided to offer the good professor

"A sky bison?! You actually have one?" Zei asked excitedly.

Outside Appa runs away from four sandbenders, as he growls as Professor Zei toward the sandbenders. "Sandbenders, shoo, away from the bison!"

The sandbenders run away and get into two sand-sailers. They drive the sailers by creating a small tornado of sand near the sail.

Without further ado Appa flew across the sky. In Appa's saddle Katara and Toph leaning against the sides to Sokka who grabs a telescope and looks over the side. Momo, Zei, and Aang on Appa's head. Zei leans over Appa's head to ask him a question.

"Tell me, sky bison, are you the last of your breed?" Appa growls and Zei responds enthusiastically. "Delightful! I only wish I spoke his , the stories this beast could tell."

Momo crawls up to Zei's side and starts chittering with stories of his own. "Shush, chatty monkey."

Aang examines the picture of the library. "Wow, shouldn't be too hard to find a place like this out here."

That was the idea. But the shifting environment of the sands of time likes to place a game of hide-and-seek.

Toph groans in frustration_._ "Does this place even exist?" she asked.

"Some say it doesn't." Zei answered.

Toph's eyes widen in surprise before narrowing. "Shouldn't you have mentioned that before?"Toph collapses on the saddle, putting her feet over the side.

She wasn't going to fight it. If knew before hand she would have gone. However that didn't mean she can't have a little fun. She got an idea pointed over the side of the saddle with excitement. "There it is!"

Everybody on Appa looks to where Toph is pointing, but they can only see sand dunes. Aang, Katara, Dante, V and Sokka glared at Toph in annoyance for tricking them. "That's what it will sound like when one of you spots it." she states and waves her hand in front of her face with a blank grin to remind them of the fact that she is blind. She quickly goes back to clutching the saddle.

After a while of Aang driving Appa Momo sleeps on Aang's head. Sokka and Katara search for the library diligence.

"It shouldn't be this hard to spot a giant, ornate building from the air." Katara said.

Sokka looks through his telescope and spots a tower. "Down there, what's that?"

Aang drives Appa down to the tower among the sand. Once on the ground Katara reviews the illustrations and shakes her head. "Forget it. It's obviously not what we're looking for. The building in this drawing is enormous."

They see a sparkle in the distance and an animal holding a scroll with its mouth walking over a dune. "What kind of animal is that?" Sokka asked Zei.

The fox runs up the tower to a window at the top through which the fox enters. "I think that was one of the Knowledge Seekers. Oh, we must be close to the library!" Zei says excitedly.

Sokka looks over the illustration. "No, this is the library- look! It's completely buried."Tower in the illustration is at the very top of the library.

"The library is buried?! My life's ambition is now full of sand. Well, time to start excavating." He attempts to unearth the library using the tiny shovel.

Dante crossed his arms. "Listen as much as I would like to plunder these ruins of it treasure. I'm not going to wait until you dig to the front door – with a tiny shovel."

Toph places her palm against the spire's surface. Her eyes widen upon her discovery. "Actually, that won't be necessary. The inside seems to be completely intact. And it's _huge_."

"That fox thingy went in through a window. I say we climb up there and give it a look." Said Sokka.

"I say you guys go ahead without me." Toph opted to stay above ground.

"You got something against libraries?"

"I've held books before. And I gotta tell you, they don't exactly do it for me."

"Oh, right. Sorry." Katara apologized.

"Let me know if they have something you can listen to." Toph called after them as they began the climb.

A boomerang with a rope tied to it is thrown into the window. At the bottom of the tower, Sokka starts scaling the rope. Aang said his goodbye to his pet where he was inside. "Don't worry, buddy. I'm not making you go underground ever again. You can stay out here with Toph."

Appa makes a low, rumbling growl as he turns to Toph.

"What's up?" She asked awkwardly.

The group descended down the tower on ropes while Momo flies down, V held onto Griffon as the demon flew and Dante shape shifted into an eagle and flies as well. As they entered into library's ceiling dome the professor marveled at the sights. "Oh, it's breathtaking! The spirit spared no expense in designing this place. Look at those beautiful buttresses!"

Sokka and Aang giggle at the word. "What's funny?"

"Nothing. We just like architecture." Aang said.

"As do I." smiled Zei.

They slide off the rope onto a bridge where Dante and V waited. They took in the beauty of the Great Library of Wan Shi Tong.

"My word!" exclaimed Zei as he examines an owl mosaic above two pillars The exquisite mosaic handiwork of this tile-rendered avian symbol ..." Everyone look at Zei quizzically. "Eh, nice owl."

They hear rustling noises. Dante, V, Sokka and Katara run behind a pillar. Aang grabs Zei and they hide behind another pillar. A giant black and white owl spirit walks over the bridge and examines the rope. Aang cranes his head around the pillar.

The owl spirit turns his head around in the direction of the visitors. "**I know you're back there**." the owl spoke with a voice that to reverberate off the walls, enough to make every last one of the little fine hairs on the back of their necks stand on end.

Aang gasps and hides again. However the good professor's curiosity got the better of him. He smiles and walks from behind the pillar and up to the owl. "Hello, I'm Professor Zei, head of anthropology at Ba Sing Se University."

The owl didn't if he was of such. "**You should leave the way you came. [**_**Looks to the side.**_**] Unless you want to become a **_**stuffed**_** head of anthropology.**"

The owl gestures to three stuffed animal heads on a pillar. Zei moans and clutches his neck. Katara, Sokka Aang, Dante and V walk out from behind their pillars and up to the Owl sees that it is safe to do so.

"Are you the spirit who brought this library to the physical world?" asked Sokka.

"**Indeed, I am Wan Shi Tong, "**_**He Who Knows Ten Thousand Things**_**." And you are obviously humans, which, by the way, are no longer permitted in my study." **Wan Shi Tong stated as a matter of fact.

"What do you have against humans?" asked Aang.

Wan Shi Tong frowned at the question. Every spirit being everywhere askedthat question would answer the same way. The Nature of Mankind.

"**Hm! Humans only bother learning things to get the edge on other humans. Like that firebender who came to this place a few years ago, looking to destroy his enemy. So ... who are YOU trying to destroy?"** Wan Shi Tong asked Sokka by leaning down and looking him straight in the eye. He sense he is the weakest link of the bunch. The boy's eyes will not lie.

"What? No-no-no-no destroying. We're not into that." Sokka pleaded nervously

"**Then why have you come HERE?"**

"Um ... knowledge for knowledge's sake?"

"Oh for the love of …" Dante rolled his eyes at Sokka's half-ass answer.

The owl didn't have to read his mind to know is a lying weasel.** "If you're going to lie to an all-knowing spirit being, you should at least put some ****effort**** into it."**

I'm not lying, I'm here with the Avatar, and he's the bridge between our worlds. He'll vouch for me." Sokka grabs Aang and nudges him.

"Ow. Uh, yeah, I'll vouch. We will not abuse the knowledge in your library, good spirit. You have my word."

They all bow to Wan Shi Tong. To see the Avatar is the Airbender that survived to genocide a hundred years ago, as well as two spirit beings in his company perhaps this bunch won't be like the ones before. "**Hmm, very well. I'll let you peruse my vast collection. On one condition. To prove your worth as scholars, you have to contribute some worthwhile knowledge.**"

It seems like a fair trade. Zei walks up to Wan Shi Tong holding a book and kneels down. "Please accept this tome as a donation to your library."

"**First edition, very nice."**The owl grabs the book with his wing.

"I have an authentic waterbending scroll." Katara offered what she and Aang no longer needs.

"**Ooh, these illustrations are quite stylish.****" **The owl grabs the scroll.

"I found this book once that help sharpened my tongue." Dante offered a little book he had in his bag.

"**The Art of Verbal Self-defense. For those who want to be good at parties. Efficient." **the owl takes the manual.

"Uh ... oh, I know." Grabs his wanted poster out of his shirt and shows it to Wan Shi Tong.

"**I suppose that counts."** The owl takes the poster.

V who had nothing to give to Wan Shi Tong and his great library. "I'm sorry, wise one; I have nothing to give you. But it pleases you may I ready you a verse from my small book. Poetry is my area of expertise." V offered politely.

"**By all means."**

V raised his arm and opened his hand to reveal glowing particles that resemble an ancient symbols in forgotten tongue.

Wan's eyes widened at the beautiful sight.**"My, My. I haven't seen it this since their civilization fell into these sands."**

Everyone was amazed at such a sight. V then pushed it the owl. "They are gone but their knowledge isn't. It figures some of it should return to one who gave it to them." said V. Wan Shi Tong accepted the glowing symbol back into himself.

Last but not least was Sokka."Oh, great spirit, check this out … Ta-da!" Sokka tied some string into a butterfly knot and shows it to Wan Shi Tong who just looks at him … in utter silence. "It's a special knot. That counts as knowledge!" Sokka tried to sell it.

"**You're not very bright, are you?"**Wan Shi Tong takes the knot leaving Sokka to grunt.

Perhaps this group is different than the rest. "Enjoy the library." He jumps off the bridge and flies down to lower levels of the library.

Sokka Narrows his eyes. "Bright enough to fool you."

Perhaps a imbecile like Sokka can be pity into and establishment.

::

Outside Toph and Appa engage in a conversation about … stuff.

"So ... you like ... flying?" asked Toph.

Appa purrs deeply and scratches his ear.

"Of course, I'm more comfortable on the ground where I can see. Well, I don't _see_ the way you do. I feel the vibrations in the ground with my feet." Toph picks up a handful of sand and lets it fall. "But this sand is so loose and shifty, it makes everything look fuzzy."

Appa makes a rumbling groan and Toph wonders if she offended him.

"Not that there's anything wrong with fuzzy."

Toph have a few things in common. One: they are very moody. Two: they at times have hair covering their eyes. Three: they are really strong. And finally four: they have four letters to their name. If anything they would be fast friends.

::

Deep inside the library the group is immersed in the knowledge within. The Knowledge Seeker, Team Avatar, and Zei at a bookshelf. The Knowledge Seeker deposits its scroll on a shelf and moves on.

Aang, as he flips a page on his book. He finds an illustration of a person talking to a lion turtle with two more lion turtles in the background. Aang holds the illustration up to show Sokka and Katara. "Hey, look at these weird lion turtle things."

"Eh, I've seen weirder." Sokka shrugged.

"Aang, did you know in a past life, you were left-handed?"

"I always knew I was special." smiled Aang.

Sokka walked down to a few levels and found a statue of a scantily clad dancer of carved out of stone with a cat head and two plumped bare breasts. Sokka decided to enjoy the sight of this wonderful piece of art from the ancient world.

"What are you looking?"

"GAHHH!" Sokka nearly jumped out of his skin. He turned around and saw it was Dante who was standing behind him. "Ah … it's just a statue of a weird dancer ... girl."

"Eh, were guys who stare a statues of naked women. Nothing new there."

Sokka and Dante walk on until up to a podium. They see the burnt piece of parchment framed on the podium with the characters: _**培治龍年七月九日烈火國最黑暗的一天**__**.**_

"_**The darkest day in Fire Nation history**_**.**" It's got a date at the top, but it doesn't say anything else." Sokka said

"Looks like it was pulled from a fire." Dante says ironically.

He looks around, making sure no one is watching, before prying open the frame with his machete and taking the parchment.

"Sokka, where are you going?" asks Katara bother upon seeing him rush past.

"I want to know what happened to the Fire Nation on their darkest day. This could be promising. The information on the Fire Nation should be right up here."Everyone running down the section of a library, to where the Fire Nation archives dwelt, only to find it a room full of ashes.

"Firebenders." Aang said looking at the devastation.

"They destroyed everything having to do with the Fire Nation." Katara said.

"That's so unfair! Just when I think I'm one step ahead of the Fire Nation, it turns out they beat us here a long time ago. I need to know what happened on the darkest day."

"Grow a pair and grow up. Life is unfair." Dante stabbed Sokka's personality.

Sokka hears whimpering and looks at the entrance to see the Knowledge Seeker standing on its hind legs. "Hello, little weird fox guy."

"You want a cookie, scram." Griffon said.

"Seems it's trying to assist you." Zei asked.

"Um, sure, I guess I'll follow you."

::

They follow the Knowledge Seeker to a large round door with a texture lining the bottom sides of the wall. The Knowledge Seeker enters a small door in the texture. The large door opens showing the Knowledge Seeker standing behind it. Team Avatar and Zei walk toward the center of the room. The Knowledge Seeker pushes a lever beside the calendar wheel and the domed ceiling changes from day to night.

"This room is a true marvel, a mechanical wonder. It's a planetarium that shows the heavens moving." Zei gasped in joy.

The domed ceiling changes back into day.

"Uh, this is beautiful, but how is it helpful?" asked Sokka.

Katara over to the dial. "Maybe these dials represent dates and times. Sokka, try entering that date from that parchment you took."

Sokka shushed his sister "Shh, Katara, not in front of the fox, he's with the owl."The Knowledge Seeker whimpers. Sokka glances at the parchment and changes four of the calendar wheels. He pushes the lever and the domed ceiling changes from day to night.

"Wow, I got to hand it to you, Sokka. You picked the best mini-vacation for sure." Aang comments.

The ceiling changes from night to day and the planetarium suddenly grows dark.

"Hey, wait. What happened to the sun?" Katara asked.

"Great, you must have broken it." Aang said.

Sokka walked until he was beside Aang. The sun piece of the planetarium covered by the moon piece.

"It's not broken. The sun is behind the moon. It's a solar eclipse! It's literally the darkest day in Fire Nation history. Now I get it." Sokka grabs Aang's shoulders and shakes him. "Something awful happened on that day. I don't know what, but I do know why. Firebenders lose their bending during a solar eclipse."

"Congregations, Sokka. You discovered a Firebender weakness. You get a cookie." V said sarcastically and tossed a cookie to him.

"Thanks!" Sokka accepted the cookie with proudly.

Katara understand it now. "That makes sense. I mean, think what the lunar eclipse at the North Pole did to the waterbenders. This is huge."

The Knowledge Seeker gets on its hind legs and begs. "Fine, you earned it." Sokka tosses his cookie to the fox.

"We've gotta get this information to the Earth King at Ba Sing Se. We'll wait for the next eclipse, then we'll invade the Fire Nation when they're totally helpless. The Fire Lord is going DOWN!"

"**Mortals are so predictable and such terrible liars." **

Sokka gulps and turns around and see Wan Shi Tong standing at the entrance not looking happy at all.

"Sokka did it, Eat him!" Dante pointed the finger at Sokka.

"**You betrayed my trust! From the beginning, you intended to misuse this knowledge for evil purposes."**

"That's Sokka." Griffon added.

"What, no. You don't understand. If anyone's evil, it's the Fire Nation. You saw what they did to your library. They're destructive and dangerous. We need this information."

"**You think you're the first person to believe their war was justified? Countless others before you from all four nations have come here seeking weapons or weaknesses or battle strategies."**

"He's right." V said and he walked forward until he was beside Sokka to confront the Owl. "Great Wan Shi Tong, me and my older brother Dante know all too well the nature of mankind."

"**Yet, you are spirit beings yourselves; you live among them as if it would make their lives better. Yes I **_**know**_** of the conflict you two have with your eldest brother even before you even set foot in this world. Word can travel across creation faster than you think."**

"The imagination of man's heart is evil from its youth. But even after they still can change."

"**Change into what? The only things Humans that seek power can change into are clever demons. The cycle will continue throughout this world. Today it is the Fire Nation, tomorrow it will be the Water Tribes, and then it will be the Earth Nation. This vicious cycle that you two trying to fight against with never end unless you do what **_**must be done**_**."**

V hung his head in defeat. Katara and Aang noticed small tear falling to the floor. Aang tried to plea one last time. "We had no choice. Please, we're just desperate to protect the people we love."

Wan Shi Tong closed his eyes and sighed before opening them again. He knows what they lost. But they do not see the bigger picture.

"**And now I'm going to protect what **_**I**_** love."** Wan flaps his wings to airbends a current thought-out the library which begins to shake.

"What are you doing?" Aang shouted.

"**I'm taking my knowledge back. No one will ever abuse it AGAIN."**

Katara notices sand begins to pours from the ceiling. "He's sinking the building. We've gotta get out of here."

Wan Shi Tong form began to change. His neck grew longer and he spread his wings to their fill wingspan. If the other form is normal than this form is for battle.

"**I'm afraid I can't allow that. You already know too much." **Wan Shi Tong right eye glowed red while the other glowed blue. Wave-like tattoos glow red and blue on his feathers.

Dante and V were surprised. "Wait a minute. Those powers are Angel and demon, are you …?" V asked.

"**Yes, I'm too am a **_**Nephilim,**_** like yourselves."**

Dante turn around and broke the fourth wall. "I didn't see that coming. RUN!"

Wan Shi Tong Pecks at them, but misses. He continues to pursue them as they run out the planetarium.

::

Outside, Appa snarls as the library starts sinking and the ground starts shaking. Toph rest in the Appa's in his shadow out of the hot sun. "I already _told_ you, I don't wanna snuggle."

Appa stands up and hurries away from the library. Toph falls flat on her back, she stand and her feet show her the fuzzy image of the library sinking into the sand. "Library sinking. Library sinking!"

Toph runs up to the library and punches both fists into the library to stop it from sinking. Her feet slip in the sand, so she pauses to solidify it. She struggles to stop it from sinking again but time is running out.

::

As above, so below. The clock was ticking. Team Avatar and Zei running through the library. They round a corner, and Wan Shi Tong continues pursuing them.

Zei stops running and turns back toward Wan Shi Tong. "Great Knowledge Spirit, I beg you, do not destroy your vast collection of priceless tomes."

Aang uses air suction to move Zei out of Wan Shi Tong's attack. Aang fires an air blast at Wan Shi Tong, sending the spirit falling off the side of the bridge.

Aang runs back to the rest. "We've gotta get back to the surface!"

"Sokka, let's go." Katara waved to her brother to follow.

"But we still don't know when the next eclipse is gonna to happen." Sokka protested.

"Don't be stupid! We'll find out later!" Katara said.

"No, we won't. If we leave this place, we'll never get the information. Aang and V, come with me to the planetarium, I need cover. Dante, keep Katara safe and if the Owl shows up do your worst. Katara, take Momo and get out of here!"

"But ...!"

Wan Shi Tong breaks in between the two groups and pursues Dante Katara and Zei.

"GO!" Sokka urged them on.

"Hurry, Sokka!" Katara calls after her brother.

Zei evades Wan Shi Tong by diving into a smaller aisle of books. He grabs a book, looking at the cover excitedly. Katara runs and Wan Shi Tong swoops down. Dante spun around to face Wan Shi Tong with Rebellion at the ready.

"Dude, you picked the wrong day to drown me in sand."

Dante sprinted and leaped and cut into Wan Shi Tong who uttered a cry of pain.

::

Above on the surface with Toph holding up the library. Appa grunts nervously getting Toph's attention, "What is it now?" she asks.

There in the far off in distance closing fast are three sand-sailers. As they closed in The sandbenders direct a sand blast at Appa.

"Who's there?" Toph demanded as she struggled as hard as she could to not let the building sink.

Through her seismic sense she can see fuzzy images of sand-sailers circling Appa and the sandbenders jumping out. Things were about to go down.

::

Below the surface this were heating up.

"Come on, V hurry up!" Sokka called to him.

"You try to run with a bad leg." V replied sarcastically. He then summoned Shadow to be a mist under his feet and glide on the floor faster to keep up.

Sokka Aang and V run across a bridge and reach the entrance to the planetarium.

"Why are we doing this?" Aang asked.

"Because if this calendar can tell us about eclipses in the past, then maybe it can project when the next one will be." Sokka replied.

"You can't possibly check every single date."

"I don't have to. We just need to check every date before Sozin's Comet arrives. Because after that- well, try not to think about that."

V summons Griffon, Shadow and nightmare to watch the door. "Then for the sake of the children, Sokka, you better find it."

Sokka nods and finishes adjusting the wheels and Aang pushes the lever. Moon travels across the ceiling and Sokka adjusts the wheel calendar again, before switching to the ceiling changing from night to day. The sun and moon traveling close to each other but he keeps trying.

"Come on, eclipse." Aang mutters and pushes the lever.

The moon and sun traveling across the ceiling until the moon finally overlaps with the sun.

"That's it! The solar eclipse! It's just a few months away." Sokka takes out a piece of paper and writes down the date. "Got it. Now, let's get to Ba Sing Se."

::

Appa surrounded by sandbenders yielding weighted ropes. They throw the ropes over Appa and solidify the sand near their feet to bring Appa down.

"Don't make me put this down." Toph warned.

Toph lets go of the library and earthbends a slice of sand at the sandbenders, but misses. She grabs the library again. Appa is tied up by the sand-sailers that drag him away with all haste. "No! Stop sinking! No!" Toph finally grabs the library. Toph closes her eyes feeling like she wanted to die.

"I'm sorry, Appa."

::

Below the boss fight with Wan Shi Tong was going smoothly … Wan Shi Tong. Trying to fight him off while trying to make a break for the exit is not easy. Katara and Dante ran before stopping beside a bookshelf, Katara holding Momo while she and Dante panted quietly so not to alert Wan of their presence. Wan Shi Tong walks on the other side of the bookshelf and spots Momo's tail.

"**At least I'll have one specimen to add to my collection."**

Wan Shi Tong tries to grab Momo with his beak, but the three ran. They reach the bridge with the rope and turn back to face Wan Shi Tong who raises his head and unfolds his wings to attack.

"**Your powers and swordplay won't be enough to face me while protecting her.**** And your waterbending won't do you much good here. I've studied Northern water style, Southern water style, even Foggy Swamp style."**

Aang flies his glider holding Sokka, who jumps off holding a book, yelling. Sokka slams the book onto Wan Shi Tong's head, knocking him out. "Learn it. That's called Sokka style!"

It was finally time to get out of there. V grabs on to Griffon and he takes him above where the light from the outside is pouring down.

Sokka, Katara, Momo and Dante climb over Wan Shi Tong and up the rope. Sokka climbs the rope until stops and looks back down and see professor Zei. "Wait! Professor, let's go."

Professor Sitting among a pile of books holding a scroll that surrounds him. The sand is building up and beginning to cover some of the stacks. Zei is reading a scroll. "I'm not leaving. I can't. I've spent too long trying to find this place. There's not another collection of knowledge like this on earth. I could spend an _eternity_ in here."

Professor would give up everything of his form life to seek the vast knowledge of the universe. He was truly and finally content. Knowledge is a gift that should never be wasted.

Katara looks up at Sokka. "Just go!"

Wan Shi Tong screeches and shakes the rope, making Sokka, Katara and Dante fall off. Aang catches them and they fly up while Wan Shi Tong pursues them.

They cut it close but they made it. V waited for them at the top and when he see them coming up fast he jump down. Once was everyone came out and hit the dirt Toph finally let go of the library letting sink into the sandy depths.

"We got it. There's a solar eclipse coming. The Fire Nation's in trouble now!"

Aang stood up and walks toward Toph wondering where his sky bison is. "Where's Appa?" he asked.

Instead of replying Toph shakes her head. She failed in protecting Appa. She did want to let either the library or Appa disappear, but she couldn't hold to both.

The needs of the many out weighted the needs of few.


	11. Chapter 11

**BOOK TWO: EARTH**

**CHAPTER 11: ****THE DESERT**

::

::

Desolation - often the term synonymous with other terms of barrenness, isolation, bleakness, emptiness, dereliction, devastation, anguish and despair. The desert seems to be one of the places where one can feel these emotions to the full depth.

Team Avatar looks in every direction over the vast ocean of sand for Appa. A little sandstorm began to blow all around them accusing their view. Unable to see where Appa could have vanished they turn to the world oldest scapegoat: blame.

"How could you let them take Appa?! Why didn't you stop them ?!" Aang turned around to Toph enraged.

"I couldn't! The library was sinking! You guys were still inside and-" Toph tried to defend her actions but Aang didn't want to hear it.

"You could've come to get us. I could've saved him!"Aang interrupts Toph as he walks over to her.

Toph turns to face him slightly, though she was blind, she couldn't face him while he is enraged. "I can hardly feel any vibrations out here. The sandbenders snuck up on me and there wasn't time for –"

"You just didn't care! You never liked Appa! You wanted him GONE!" Aang Snaps at Toph harshly.

Aang looks extremely furious at Toph as Katara walks over to him. She puts her hand on his shoulder to try and calm him down. Toph just felt miserable by all this and Aang wasn't helping her feel better. "Aang, stop it. You know Toph did all she could. She saved our lives."

"Who's going to save our lives now? We'll never make it out of here." Sokka, who is still looking out into the desert.

"Then we're gonna have to hoof it. The wind covered the Sandbenders tracks; they couldn't have taken anywhere, so the trial has gone cold from the start. I hate to say this but we have to leave Appa behind."

"We can't leave Appa!" Aang shouted.

"He's gone! We have to focus on the here and now!" Dante shouted back while walking toward him.

"That's all any of you guys care about, yourselves! You don't care whether Appa is okay or not!" Aang walked off.

"We're all concerned, but we can't afford to be fighting now." Katara said.

Aang crouches on the ground and tights his grip on his staff. "I'm going after Appa." He said in a cold, hard tone.

Aang flies off, Katara calls after him, running to the place he took off but it was hopeless. The rest of the group who stand by the large crater created by the disappeared library. Katara, who is still looked in the direction Aang, took off at.

Katara sighed in giving up. "We'd better start walking. We're the only people who know about the solar eclipse. We have to get that information to Ba Sing Se."

The group starts walking in the same direction as Aang took off to, with Katara leading the way, followed by Dante, V, Sokka with Toph closes the ranks.

"You think if we dig out the giant owl, he'll give us a ride?" Sokka asked with a sudden idea.

::

Elsewhere Zuko and Iroh riding on their ostrich horse. Iroh fake-moans in pretend pain at every step the ostrich horse takes, clasping his left arm.

"Maybe we should make camp." said Zuko.

"No please, don't stop just for me!" replied Iroh. Iroh then theatrically lets out several more groans of pain to the style of the world's smallest violin playing: _Woe Always Me._

Zuko pull at the reins, annoyed by the performance displayed by his uncle. As they dismount, the ostrich horse is alarmed by something. Zuko immediately takes on a firebending form, ready to defend himself.

"What now?" Iroh asked annoyed that he won't rest anytime soon.

The Rough Rhinos ride through the thicket at both sides of the road Zuko and Iroh were traveling on. Mongke's rhino steps the ground forcefully breaking the surface. Mongke is shown, pulling back the reigns. Zuko keeps up his defensive position, looking at the men that surrounded them. Iroh's face clears up as he stands up and places a hand on Zuko's shoulder.

"Colonel Mongke! What a pleasant surprise!" Iroh greeted his old friends.

"If you're surprised we're here, then the Dragon of the West has lost a few steps." Mongke clashed his bladed bracers together sharpening rest of the Rough Rhinos prepare themselves for battle, each readying their own weapon of expertise. Ogodei with ball and chains, Kahchiwith Guan Dao blade,Vachir with flaming arrows, Yeh-Lu with explosives and Mongke with Firebending.

"You know these guys?" Zuko asked in surprise.

"Sure. Colonel Mongke and the Rough Rhinos are legendary. Each one is a different kind of weapon specialist. They are also a very capable singing group."

"We're not here to give a concert. We're here to apprehend fugitives!" Mongke stated.

"Would you like some tea first? I'd love some. How about you, Kahchi? I make you as a jasmine man. Am I right?"

"Enough stalling! Round 'em up!" Mongke ordered.

Ogodei swings his ball and chain at Iroh, who kicks it away. The chain wraps itself around the leg of a nearby standing Rhino. Iroh tumbles over the ground, dodging two fire blasts. He rises back up and hits the Rhino in the rear, making it dash away, yanking Ogodei off his rhino and dragging him along. Iroh waves goodbye as he watches them go. Vachir lit an arrow and fires it at Zuko, who quickly reacts by knocking the arrow away and releasing a fire blast, burning a hole in the surprised Vachir's bow.

Mongke joins the fight by directing some fire blasts at Iroh. Iroh deflects each and every one of them. As Mongke is busy with Iroh, Zuko runs up and jumps on the back of the Rhino. With two spinning fire kicks, he sends Colonel Mongke flying.

Iroh runs up to the ostrich horse, jumps on and rides toward Zuko, who awaits him, standing on the Rhino of Colonel Mongke. As he jumps on, another Rough Rhino immediately starts the pursuit. Yeh-Lu throws a grenade at the fleeing ostrich horse. It explodes right in front of it, but Iroh and Zuko ride through the explosion's smoke.

"It's nice to see old friends." smiled Iroh.

"Too bad you don't have any old friends that don't want to attack you." Zuko said with irony.

Grasping his shoulder again as he racks his brain in search of an answer. "Hmmm ... Old friends that don't want to attack me ..."

There is one friend who won't attack Iroh and that is Dante. Iroh pondered more on whom else is a friend doesn't want to attack him.

::

Back to the desert the remaining members of team avatar continued on. All exhausted and dehydrated, still wandering through the desert. Dante wipes the sweat from his forehead. V hair became damp as a mop as it clings to the sides of his face. Sokka stops to take Momo off his back and use his wings to create some shade, causing Toph to crash into him.

"Can't you watch where you're ..." Sokka said annoyed. His eyes widen in comprehension as he sees who bumped into him.

"No." Toph said.

"Right. Sorry." Sokka apologized.

"Come on guys, we've got to stick together." Katara turns around to encourage the others.

Sokka's clothes stick to Toph. He tries to free himself by pushing her away. "If I sweat anymore, I don't think sticking together will be a problem."

Irritated, Toph places her hand on Sokka's face and pushes him to the ground, freeing them both. "Katara, can I have some more water?" she asked.

"Okay, but we've got to try to conserve it."

Katara bends three small blobs of water out of her pouch and into the mouths of Sokka, Toph and Momo. Sokka circulates the water in his mouth before swallowing it. Sokka then he points to his mouth. "We're drinking your bending water." He tries to define the taste of the water, smacking his lips. Then he exclaims disgust. "You used this on the swamp guy! Urch!"

"It does taste swampy." Toph says in dry tone.

Momo lets out a sad cry in protest of the water's flavor, after also smacking his lips. Katara sadly puts the cork back on her water sack. "I'm sorry, it's all we have."

"Not anymore! Look!"

Katara looks in the direction Sokka's pointing. He walks over to the cactus and cuts off a piece with his machete. He happily drinks the fluid that's inside while Momo crawls over to him.

"Sokka, wait! You shouldn't be eating strange plants!" She drags Toph along on her arm as she along with Dante and V runs toward Sokka. He and Momo are quenching their thirst with plenty of cactus juice. He cuts open another part of the cactus, excitedly offering its content to Katara who is giving him a skeptic looking. "There's water trapped inside these!" he offered.

"I don't know ..." Katara backed away from Sokka and the cactus.

"Suit yourself. It's very thirst quenching though."Sokka gives Katara a big smile like a true salesman.

Then his pupils in his eyes dilates rapidly. He tries to shake off the feeling by rapidly shaking his head. He starts to trip in a matter that was very ...

"Drink cactus juice. It'll quench ya! Nothing's quenchier." He crawls over the ground as a caterpillar before jumping back to the front, pushing his face toward everyone with a big smile. "It's the quenchiest!"

Dante blinked for moment trying to process what he just saw. Katara gives Sokka a very weird look. "Okay, I think you've had enough." She grabs his cactus juice and pours it away.

"Who lit Toph on fire?" Sokka as he walked over to Toph.

Katara wants to react on Sokka's comment, but is distracted by a sound in the sky. She looks up to see Momo flying around in circles, increasing his speed, before plummeting into the ground, head first. Katara picks up and cradles the unconscious animal.

"Can I get some of that cactus?" Toph asked upon hearing Sokka's 'positive' review of the stuff.

Dante wrapping his arm around Toph's shoulders. "I don't think that's a good idea." he says.

"Come on, we need to find Aang." Katara says.

Dante leads Toph away. Sokka stays behind, staring blankly at the sky until Katara retraces her steps and pulls Sokka along by his arms. "How did we get out here in the middle of the ocean? Sokkain awe at what he thinks is around him though in a way he may not be so out of it.

Elsewhere in the endless desert Aang flies over the sands in search of Appa. He blows his bison glides down and lands on a dune. "Appa! Aaappppaaa!"

While he stares across the horizon, it begins to dawn on him that he is not going to find his friend out here. The tears well up in his eyes. "No ... NO!"

Overcome by anger, he slams his staff on the ground, creating a large mushroom-shaped cloud of sand. Dust that was kicked up by Aang's blow washes over the rest of Team Avatar as they climb over another dune.

"What is that?" Katara asks.

"What? What is what?" Toph asked.

"It's a giant mushroom! Maybe it's friendly!" Sokka said in joyful awe.

Dante raises his hand to cover his eyes from sunlight to see what it is in the distance. "I've seen something like this before a long time ago. But I would have seen a flash first."

"So you don't know?" asked Toph.

"Nope." Dante replied.

"Let's just keep moving. I hope Aang's okay ..." Katara says.

As everyone else walks away, Sokka starts to worship the mushroom by waving his arms up and down, back and forth. "Friendly mushroom! Mushy giant friend!"

V walks over and hits Sokka on the head with his cane and drags him by the foot.

::

Back at the village with the Misty Palms Oasis at the border of the desert Master Yu and Xin Fu were on the trial of Toph. Having tracked her to this place they began to ask around nicely.

"Yeah, a little barefoot blind girl and her friends passed through here a few days ago." A man said.

"Did they give you any indication where they were headed ?" Yu asked politely.

"Maybe you could give me a little incentive ?" The man makes the money sign with his fingers.

"You suggesting I break your fingers ?" Xin Fu growled.

The man quickly hides his hand behind his back and points with the other one toward the desert. "They went in the desert! Too bad there's almost no chance they survived."

"That's okay, 'cause she's wanted dead or alive." Xin Fu grinned.

The man quietly backs away from Xin Fu and Yu. "No she's not! I'm certain her father wants her alive." Yu reminds his partner on the hunt.

"Hey, look ... Fire Nation wanted posters!" Yu follows Xin Fu's lead and examines the wanted posters. A poster of Zuko and Iroh is surrounded by posters of Aang, the Blue Spirit, Jeong Jeong and Chey

"So?" asked Yu.

"So, look who's here." Xin Fu points out.

Yu looks over and sees Zuko and Iroh walking toward the tavern.

::

It is nearly twilight and Team Avatar is still walking in a single file through the desert. A shadow passes over their heads and Aang lands behind them, kicking up a small cloud of sand. As the sand clears, Aang is still walks over to him and puts a hand on his shoulder to comfort him. He pulls away.

"I'm sorry, Aang. I know it's hard for you right now but ... we need to focus on getting out of here."

"What's the difference? We won't survive without Appa. We all know it."

"Come on, Aang. We can do this if we work together. Right Toph?" Katara turned for encouragement.

Toph kicked at the sand. "As far as I can feel, we're trapped in a giant bowl of sand pudding. I got nothin'."

Katara turns to Dante. "Dante, you have any ideas?"

Dante looks out at the horizon. "Nada."

Katara then turns to V. "V, what say you?"

"To see a World in a Grain of Sand and a Heaven in a Wild Flower, Hold Infinity in the palm of your hand And Eternity in an hour." V quoted William Blake's "Auguries of Innocence.

Katara turned to her brother for help. "Sokka? Any ideas how to find Ba Sing Se?"

Sokka and Momo lie side by side on their backs, arms and legs stretched out. Sokka smiles blissfully. "Why don't we ask the circle birds?"

Katara directs her gaze to the sky and sees four buzzard wasps circling above their heads. She looks at every other member in the team. Aang still sits down sulking and Toph staggers a bit. Sokka sniggers a bit while Momo lazily claws at the buzzard wasps.

Katara grabs her head in annoyance. "Ugh ... We're getting out of this desert, and we're going to do it together! Aang, get up. Everybody, hold hands. We can do this. We have to." She takes one more look at the buzzard wasps in the sky before pulling Aang along by his staff. Aang holds on to V's hand who holds Dante's hand that holds Toph's hand and she holds on to Sokka's in turn. A big grinning Sokka pulls Momo along by his tail, who lazily tries to fly in the other direction.

The sun is setting as they all stagger up a large dune, with Katara still in the lead. "I think we should stop for the night." said Katara looking at a nice place in the dunes. The rest of the group sighs and falls down of exhaustion.

"Is there any more water?" Toph asked.

"This is the last of it. Everyone can have a little drink." Katara said.

Sokka crawls toward Katara with Momo riding on his back when she begins to bend the water out of her pouch. Momo leaps forward at the water, causing it to fall in the sand.

"MOMO, NO! YOU'VE KILLED US ALL!"Sokka Theatrically panics, grabbing his head in despair.

"No, he hasn't."

"Oh, right. Bending." said Sokka relieved that he doesn't have to die soon.

Katara calmly holds her hand over the moist spot of sand and begins to bend the water back into her pouch, before giving it to Toph to drink.

"Sokka, let me see the things you got from the library." asked Katara.

Offended Sokka immediately backs away and defensively grabs his back full of scrolls.

"What?! I didn't steal anything! Who told you that?" Sokka then points an accusing finger at Momo. "IT WAS YOU! YOU RATTED ME OUT YOU BASTARD!" Momo began to cry at the accusation.

"Sokka, I was there." Katara calmly remind him. Katara takes the bag from Sokka and start to examine the scrolls.

"It doesn't matter. None of those will tell us where Appa is." said Aang sadly.

"No, but we can find out which way Ba Sing Se is. We can use the stars to guide us. That way we can travel at night when it's cool and rest during the day."

She turns around and sighs at the sight of the rest of the group. They are all lying there, exhausted from the long walk and their grief for the loss of Appa. Just try to get some sleep. "We'll start again in a few hours."

::

The night came at Misty Palms Oasis. Zuko and Iroh sitting at a table inside the tavern.

"No one here is going to help us. These people just look like filthy wanderers." Zuko grumped.

"So do we." said Iroh, reminding him that that looks aren't everything when one is trying to escape. But a scruffy look is sometimes key. "Ah, this is interesting. I think I found our friend."

Iroh pointing at something behind Zuko. Zuko turns around to see old man sitting at a PaiSho table.

"You brought us here to gamble on Pai Sho?" Zuko looks at his uncle skeptically.

"I don't think this is a gamble." Iroh reassures him.

Xin Fu and Yu, who are sitting on a bench at the other side of the tavern. Xin Fu jumps up with the intention to grab them, but Yu places a hand on his shoulder to restrain him. Reminding him that patience is a virtue.

Zuko and Iroh walk toward the PaiSho table.

"May I have this game?" Iroh asked politely.

"The guest has the first move." Gesturing Iroh to sit down.

Iroh takes a seat and looks over the Pai Sho pieces takes one and places the lotus tile in the center of the board. "I see you favor the white lotus gambit. Not many still cling to the ancient ways." The old says cupping his hands toward Iroh.

Iroh returns the gesture. "Those who do can always find a friend."

"Then let us play." The old man states.

The old man places a tile on the board, quickly followed by a tile placed by Iroh. Seemingly without even looking at what the other person is doing, the two man quickly place their tiles on the board. Zuko sits down and watches intently as the two man place one tile after the other. When they are done, their tiles form the shape of a lotus flower like those seen in the palaces and temples about in the Earth Kingdom. But in this instance the lotus flower is the symbol of an underground order that does not exist except for those who already know that they do.

The old man smiles in satisfaction. "Welcome, brother. The White Lotus opens wide to those who know her secrets."

Zuko rolled his eyes. "What are you old gasbags talking about?"

Iroh rolls a tile over his knuckles and clutches it. "I always tried to tell you that Pai Sho is more than just a game."

"I'm not waiting all night for these geezers to finish yapping!" said Xin Fu planning to sit any longer and marched over to the Pai Sho table, followed by Yu. "It's over! You two fugitives are coming with me!"

Before it came crashing down around them the old man Quickly places himself before Iroh and Zuko, preventing Xin Fu and Yu from reaching them. "I knew it! You two are wanted criminals with a giant bounty on your heads!"

"I thought you said he would help!" Zuko hissed at Iroh.

Iroh smiles and Places a hand on Zuko's shoulder to reassure him. "He is. Just watch."

"You think you're going to capture them and collect all that _gold_?" The old man said to Yu and Xin Fu loudly.

Suddenly the bar got really quickly. All the patrons turned around and cast their attention to the fugitives and the men trying arrest them. Every person in the bar looks up when they hear the word 'gold'. Some of them stand up, pulling a knife, ready to attack. The thing about a place that is a retched gathering of scum and villainy, like a bar, is that it also a place where the world's most infamous anti-heroes congregate: The Bounty Hunters.

As he moves toward Zuko and Iroh, two men jump in front of him to block his path. With a reverse roundhouse kick, the earthbender bends a rock from the ground and easily pushes them out of his way.

Yu readies himself for battle. He sinks the first person to charge him into the ground. Meanwhile Xin Fu kicks two sandbenders away while he is lifting another one up in the air and holding a fourth one back with his other hand. After he kicks another sandbender away, he twists his waist, sending the two men he is holding flying. One of them crashes into the wall behind the bar.

When there is no one left to fight, Xin Fu and Yu realize that their prey has escaped during the chaos. Xin Fu growls in frustration and slams his two fists on the ground, erecting a giant pillar of earth under a downed sandbender, shooting him out of the window and against a palm tree.

::

Back in the desert Katara continue to chart a course in the start using the scrolls from the library. Dante came over to see how she was doing.

"Have you plotted our course, Katara?" Dante asked.

"Well … at what I have to work with. If we follow this constellation which is … right up there, we should be able to get out of this desert hopefully."

Dante looked up to the constellation that hung in the sky. He squinted and cocked his head to the side the constellation looked a … familiar.

"Orion."

"What?"

"The constellation you're looking at is Orion the Hunter."

"Hmmm … that not what it's called here."

"Oh … well I just heard it from a tribe … somewhere." Dante cleared his throat to change the subject. Dante noted to himself that Orion facing the opposite direction. This world was on the other side of constellation. "I'm worried about Aang." He siad

"I am too. But we need to stick together. It is the only way we can escape this desert and find Appa."

"Yeah, that's the thing …"

"What the thing?"

Dante looked over to Aang and the rest to make sure they are asleep. "Alright. V told me that it would be best if Aang get over Appa before we leave the desert."

Katara looked up from reading the scrolls. "You know that getting over friend or a pet that suddenly became lost is not easy. I'm sorry that you're so perfect that you can get over losing a loved one, but people can't get over it so easily."

Dante was silent for a few moments before speaking again. "I'm not perfect. I just haven't seen him like this, like ever. But I think we can find a way to get out of this desert and find Appa. Am I right, Team Leader?" Dante nudged her arm with his fist; Katara smiled and nudged him back. She will do her best. Dante went back over to rest and lay back on the sand and looked at the stars while rolling a white lotus Pai Sho tile over his knuckles and clutches it.

Hours later Momo is patting the sand up Sokka while he is sleeping. He jumps away as Katara approaches Sokka to wake him up. "Come on, get up. We need to go." Sokka drowsily sits up and smiles like a drunken idiot. Toph also sits straight up, smacking her lips. "Yesterday my mouth tasted like mud. Now it just tastes like sand. I never thought I'd miss the taste of mud so much."

Katara goes to Aang to wake him up, but he interrupts her before she can touch him. "I'm awake. I couldn't sleep."

"Well, we need to get moving if we want to get out of this sand pit."

Aang and Katara spot something large in the sky. He quickly sits up at a large, bison shaped object floating by the bright, full moon. Aang's expression brightens up in an instant. "Appa."

"Appa ? But why would Princess Yue need him ? She's the moon! She flies by herself!" Sokka grabs Momo's tail, using it to rub his cheek like a freak.

Dante walked over Sokka and grabbed him by his shirt. "First off she is not the moon, she's the moon-spirit, dipshit. Second whenever you are around me you will not evoke the name of Princess Yue." Dante said. He apparently don't like the new Sokka's personality

"Why not I love her and she's loves me." Sokka head hung down his back as if it just decided to stop working properly.

"Whatever." Dante released Sokka he dropped to the ground.

The floating object reveals that it is just a small desert cloud. "It's just a cloud … Wait! A cloud! Here, fly up and bend the water from that cloud into my pouch." Katara said offering the pouch to Aang. Aang gives Katara an angry look before snatching the offered water pouch out of her hands. The group gazes at him as he quickly passes two times over the cloud. The few remains of the cloud evaporate. He throws the pouch at Katara when he lands and she looks inside.

"Wow ... there's hardly any in here." Katara said disappointed that there could have been more.

Aang lashes out "I'm sorry, okay! It's a desert cloud; I did all I could! What's anyone else doing?! What are you doing ?!" Aang asked angrily a while pointing his staff at Katara.

She returns his attack with a shocked look on her face. For once in the time she knew him Aang attitude was getting on her nerves and only could it tolerated for so long. "Trying to keep everyone together. Let's just get moving. We need to head this direction."

Katara looks at her charts once more to double check and leads the group in the direction she chosen. They are walking silently through the desert, until Toph trips and falls flat on her face. Aang Dante, V and Katara are looking at Toph, while Sokka and Momo just stand there, staring blankly to the sky. Toph sits up and rubs her right foot. "Ow! Crap! I am so sick of not feeling where I'm going! And what idiot buried a boat in the middle of the desert ?"

"A boat ?" Katara asked in surprise runs over to inspect the rocklike object.

"Believe me, I kicked it hard enough to feel plenty of vibrations." Toph added.

Sokka turns around, swinging like a string puppet, to see what Katara is so excited about. Katara begins to rub of the sand of the object that appears to be made of wood. Aang steps forward, suggestively holding up his staff. As soon as Katara backs away, Aang swings his staff around, creating a mighty gust of wind, revealing a boat of some sort. Katara crawls aboard and examines it. "It's one of the gliders the sandbenders use! And look! It's got some kind of compass on it!I bet it can point us out of here! Aang, you can bend a breeze so we can sail it. We're going to make it!"

Sokka laughing childishly while burying Momo in the sand, he's game.

::

Back at the village Zuko and Iroh follow the PaiSho player into a flower shop. His name is fung who is honor to meet Iroh.

"It is an honor to welcome such a high-ranking member of the Order of the White Lotus. Being a Grand Master, you must know so many secrets." Fung praised Iroh.

"Now that you played PaiSho, are you going to do some flower arranging, or is someone in this club going to offer some real help ?" Zuko was annoyed by the fact there wasn't anything spectacular about this Order of the White Lotus.

Iroh apologized for Zuko. "You must forgive my nephew. He is not an initiate and has little appreciation for the cryptic arts."

The PaiSho player leads Iroh toward a door with a peephole in it. He knocks two times. A man slides open the small window in the door and peeks through.

"Who knocks at the guarded gate ?" The man asked.

"One who has eaten the fruit and tasted its mysteries." Iroh responded.

Iroh smiles as the door opens to let him and the PaiSho player through. When Zuko attempts to follow them, the door slams shut in front of him. He looks at the door with a pout when Iroh opens the small window.

"I'm afraid it's members only. Wait out here." Iroh assured him.

Zuko, annoyed, frowns and crosses his arms as he rests against a nearby table. He leans over to sniff the plant on the table. For a dinky flower shop the flowers smelled nice.

::

Back in the desert the sand-sailer Team Avatar found is making great speed; Katara navigates it through the desert, while Aang's driving it forward using strong gusts of wind.

"The needle on this compass doesn't seem to be pointing north according to my charts."Katara places her charts over the compass. Sokka sits beside her, dangling his legs over the edge and holding Momo by the tail, who tries glides in the opposite direction.

"Take it easy little lady. I'm sure the sand folks who built this baby know how to get around here." Sokka said dreamily.

"I wonder how weird will get if he tries marijuana." Griffon asked Dante.

"Super wired that for sure." Dante commented.

Dante leaned back against the gliders railing and looked over to and saw a watch appeared to be claw deep marks on the embedded to it. He also found some of the walkway. He guessed that what it was most likely was responsible for the sand-sailer to be stranded and buried by the sands of the desert.

Katara she focuses her attention back toward the horizon in front of her, she gasps is comprehension when she sees a giant rock in the distance. "That's what the compass is pointing to! That giant rock! It must be the magnetic center of the desert."

"A rock ?! Yes! Let's go!" Toph cheers ecstatically.

"Maybe we can find some water there!" Katara said hopefully.

"Maybe we can find some sandbenders." Aang comments darkly.

Aang continues to send gusts of wind into the sails of the glider, directing it toward the rock faster. The glider parked at the base of the rock. The sun's finally rises when team Avatar reaches the top.

"Ahhh ... Finally! Solid ground!" Toph sighs happily lets herself drop flat on her back, moving her arms and legs back and forth, creating a rock angel.

After she is done, the group starts to explore the caves that decorate the top of the rock. They enter a round tunnel. The cave's surface is covered with a yellow, gooey substance.

Sokka breathes deeply as his high finally came to an end and he was able to clear and focused. "I think my head is starting to clear out the cactus juice. And look!" Sokka dips his hand in the yellow goo and tastes it, sharing his find with Momo. They both spit it out and Sokka is disgusted by what he just tasted. "Tastes like rotten penguin meat! Awww, I feel _woozy_."

"You've been hallucinating on cactus juice all day and then you just lick something you find stuck to the wall of a cave ?!" Katara asked irritated.

"I have a natural curiosity." Sokka states.

"I don't think this is a normal cave. This was carved by something." Toph sensed the shape of the cave.

"Yeah ... look at the shape." Aang noticed it was octagon.

Toph shifted her feet and sensed something deep within. "There's something buzzing in here. Something that's coming for us!"

Dante readied Rebellion with a tight grip. One of Dante's pet peeves was that he didn't like the buzzing of the Buzzard wasps. Regular wasps are fine but the sound their wings make are like giant annoying buzz-saws.

The group runs out of the cave, back into the open. Toph and Aang scream as the first buzzard wasp emerges. Aang pulls Toph down as it flies over their heads. More wasps exited the cave and the hive as more buzzard wasps swarm out and surround the group_._ These are the hives guards charged with defending the hive from invaders

Aang blasts the first wasp to come near them away with a strong air current. A second wasp lands on a nearby rock. The moment it touches it, Toph turns around to send the wasp flying again, shooting up the rock from underneath it. A third went into a dive And Dante blast it with fire cause it to scream in agony. Another buzzard wasp flies between Sokka and Toph. She hears it fly behind her so she lifts the rock beside her and throws it in the general direction of the sound. The giant rock lands only inches apart from Sokka.

"What are you doing? That rock almost crushed me!" Sokka shouted.

" Sorry, I can't tell where they are in the air!" Toph replied.

A loud buzzing signals the passing of another wasp. Sokka readies his machete and runs after it. "I got this one." He ferociously swings his weapon back and forth hacking it to death. Or so he thinks.

"Sokka, there's nothing there!" Katara called out.

He lowers his machete, looking around in search for his imagined foe. "I guess my head's not as clear as I thought."

"We have to get out of here! I'm completely out of water to bend!" Katara urged.

V summons all his familiars to plow the road of any Wasps that will get in their way. Griffon laughed and fires his lighting at the wasps before engaging them in an aerial dogfight. Shadows slices and whips his tail and claws to any wasps that came too close. And nightmare fired short lasers up in the air and brought some down.

Seeking out a prey a buzzard wasp swoops in from the sky and snatches up a screeching Momo as it flies away from the hive and the benders. "Momo! I'm not losing anyone else out here." Aang said with anger, he takes off on his glider in hot pursuit of Momo and the wasp.

Katara and Sokka watch him go but quickly made descent along a narrow ledge. Katara leads Toph by hand and stops when she sees an incoming target. "Toph, shoot a rock right there. Fire!"

Katara places Toph in the right direction. Toph kicks up some rocks and shoots them forward. The incoming buzzard wasp is shot down, taking several blows to the head. Sokka cheers, swinging his machete in the air. "Yeah! You got it! She got it, right ? He asked wanting to know if it was a hallucination.

"Yes. Now let's move." Katara confirms.

Dante jumps of the ledge to spearing a buzzard wasp in the torso. With a jerk he severs it in have and plummets down to the base of the rock with two more wasps in pursuit.

Aang chased the buzzard wasp that took Momo. A grave expression casts shadows on his face. He dives, emerging again straight underneath the wasp. As he turns, he directs a strong gust of wind at the wasp with a kick of his leg. The gust forces the wasp to release Momo out of its clutches. Momo tumbles down, but quickly regains control and begins to soar next to Aang. Aang looks from Momo toward the rising sun at the horizon. With an angry glare, he notices that the wasp is getting away. Aang glides down, flying close to the ground. Using the speed of his descent, he closes his glider and swings his staff down. A powerful wall of air splits the sand, racing toward the escaping wasp. The animal is hit in mid air, knocking it to the ground with its head cut clean from it body. With a dark glare, Aang just stares at the downed wasp before walking back in the direction of the giant rock. Momo follows him quickly, frightened by this merciless outburst of power.

Back to the giant rock the buzzard wasps circle around the rest, who've reached the sand-sailer at the base by now. Katara looks over Toph's shoulder, acting as her eyes. "On your left!" Toph reacts immediately and shoots a rock at her left. The buzzard wasp takes the rock full in the chest, shrieking on impact before tumbling down.

Dante slices and dices many wasps that came at him, he looked over to one that was struggling to get up and fly away. Dante ran over and gave it the final blow. The buzzard continued to scream and Dante sink the blade into its gut more before seizing it neck and crushing it throat with a sickening crunch and a death rattle emanating the Buzzard wasp's mouth.

With a satisfied grin he lifted his head to see many more wasps hovering in the air. Suddenly, gigantic pillars of sand rise from the ground and scare off the swarm. Katara, Sokka and Toph lower their arms they had lifted to shield their heads from the sand. As the wind blows the dust away several sandbenders are revealed. Dante returns to Katara, Sokka and Toph. Not before long Aang lands in front ready to face the sandbenders.

::

Back at the flower shop in the desert village Zuko had fell asleep as he wait for them to finish. At time he caught what they were talking about by listening with his ear at the door. After a while he decided to sleep until they returned. When morning came he Is startled by the squeaking of the door and instinctively takes on a defensive stance. Iroh steps through with good news.

"What's going on? Is the club meeting over ?" Zuko asked.

"Everything is taken care of. We're heading to Ba Sing Se." Iroh and Fung bow to each other in respect.

"Ba Sing Se? Why would we go to the Earth Kingdom capital ?" Zuko asked if going into the lion's den was a good idea.

"The city is filled with refugees. No one will notice two more." Fung replied.

Iroh happily shrugs his shoulders. "We can hide in plain sight there. And it's the safest place in the world from the Fire Nation. Even I couldn't break through to the city."

A bell signals that someone has entered the shop. A young man approaches the group, holding up some papers. "I have the passports for our guests, but there are two men out on the street looking for them."

They look outside to Xin Fu and Yu are holding up a wanted poster that depicts Iroh and Zuko to man walking by.

::

At base of the giant rock, where the leader of the sandbenders confronts Team Avatar. The sandbenders are a peaceful tribe of people and skilled earthbenders. Some do not trust them for reasons such as being cutthroats and thieves. This was of courses just scary campfire story. They only hunt and trade with those who are kind. But they will defend themselves when threatened or right a wrong that was done.

The leader of this tribe was named Sha-Mo who asked the big question concerning the stranger presence. "What are you doing in our land with a sandbendersailer? From the looks of it, you stole it from the Hami tribe."

"We found the sailer abandoned in the desert. We're traveling with the Avatar." Katara gestured to Aang. Sha-Mo's eyes widen a bit at this information. The savior was before them at it was an honor.

"How did you get out here without glider?"Sha-Mo asked.

"Our bison was stolen and we have to get to Ba Sing Se." Katara answered.

A young man to the right of the leader takes a step forward and aggressively addresses Katara. "You dare accuse our people of theft while you ride in on a stolen sand sailer ?!"

Sha-Mo turns to his son to silence his outburst. "Quiet, Ghashiun. No one accused our people of anything. If what they say is true, we must give them hospitality."

"Sorry, father." Ghashiun apologizes.

Toph's misty, green eye, narrowing as she hears the young man's voice. "I recognize the son's voice. He's the one that stole Appa."

"Are you sure? " Katara asked.

"I never forget a voice."

Aang's tunic flutters around him as he charges forward, threateningly brandishing his staff toward Ghashiun. "You stole Appa! Where is he? What did you do to him?"

Ghashiun cowers back. "They're lying! They're the thieves!"

With an angry frown and a growl of frustration, Aang smacks his staff on the ground, obliterating one of the sandbender's sailers with a powerful blade of air. "Where is my bison ?" Aang demand enraged.

::

Back at the flower shop, a man exits the door, pulling two big flowerpots on a wooden wagon. After he leaves, Xin Fu and Yu walk toward the door. Xin Fu slams the door open with such ferocity that an overhanging plant comes crashing down. He shoves Zuko's and Iroh's wanted poster under the nose of the florist. "Hey you, where are these men ? I got a tip that they're in your shop."

"As you can see, no one is here but us." The florist replies calmly.

"We know all about your secret back room. Kick it down." Yu says to Xin Fu.

"Hey! That room is for flowers only!" the florist exclaims.

Xin Fu charges the door like a mad bull and knocks it down along with the surrounding wall, with one mighty kick. Yu enters inside to find it empty as the man said. Yu then looked down and picks up a white lotus tile in the center of the room.

"Some unlucky soul has an incomplete PaiSho set." said Yu who shows it to Xin Fu, who angrily knocks it out of his hands. "GAAHH! Let's go back to finding the girl."

Yu has a great respect for the game of PaiSho and all who play the game.

As for Zuko and Iroh they hide the two large pots being pulled on the wagon over some dunes. If all goes to according to place they will be home free in Ba Sing Se before they know it.

::

Back at the desert rock Ghashiun wasn't going to get away scot-free.

"You tell me where he is now!" Aang order. To emphasize said order Aang sends a strong blast of air toward another sailer. The sandbenders watch in shock as it blows up.

"What did you do ?" Sha-Mo demand Ghashiun to tell the truth.

"I-It wasn't me!" Ghashiun persisted in being in the right.

"You said to put a muzzle on him!" Toph added.

"You MUZZLED Appa ?" Aang began enraged even more.

Aang's eyes and tattoos start to glow as he enters the Avatar State. With a swing of his staff, he destroys the last of the sandbender's sailers.

"You are in for it now, asshole!" Dante clapped his hands. He was going to enjoy want happens next.

Ghashiun finally admits his mistake. "I'm sorry! I didn't know that it belonged to the Avatar!"

"**Tell me where Appa is!"** Aang demanded with the voices of all the Avatars overlapping and speaking in multiple tongues.

"I traded him! To some merchants! He's probably in Ba Sing Se by now! They were going to sell him there! Please! We'll escort you out of the desert! We'll help however we can!"

It was no use. The wind around Avatar Aang starts the swirl, as his anger is reaching its peak. Dante V along Sokka who pulls Toph along with him starts to make a break for it, running away from their enraged friend.

"Just get out of here! Run!" Sokka urged.

Aang drops his staff. The wind around him forms a fast moving sphere, knocking up sand high into the sky. As everyone runs away, Katara stays put, staring sadly at the ground. The sandstorm engulfs her and Aang completely, obscuring them from the sight of the others.

Aang's air sphere slowly lifts him up in the air, his teeth clenched and his hands cramped with rage. Katara grabs his right arm, preventing him from rising any further. The terrible face of an outraged Avatar looks down upon her, only to be met by Katara's sincere, sad expression. She pulls him back to the ground and presses him close against her chest. Sokka and Toph lower their arms as the wind becomes less violent. Tears are streaming down the Avatar's glowing eyes. Katara tries her best to hold on as her own tears well up. The air sphere slowly dissolves away as Aang leaves the Avatar state. His rage subsides to make room for pure, heartbreaking sadness.

With the help of the Sandbenders in the remaining Sandsailer they were off to their destination.

Dante sat near the railing and looked out across the sandy horizon. Toph came over and took a seat next to Dante wanting to ask him a question.

"Do you think we will find Appa?" she asked.

"Believe we will." Dante replied back while to taking his eyes off the horizon.

"I been meaning to ask you … that guy Hozan. Did you mange to find him?"

"Yes."

"Where?"

"On the way to the forward command base …"

::

**THEN**

The forward base was an Earth Kingdom town they captured that was the last one strategic value. Now that the Fire Army has subdued it there is nothing standing in the way of them and Ba Sing Se. the Sabertooth Tiger tank rolled in the ruin streets of the town. Rubble littered the streets, smoke rose in the air and Fire was burning away of what remained of someone buildings. The deep sound artillery fire and explosions could be heard as Dante opened the top hatch of the turret and stood up to get view of everything around him. This place has seen some heavy action; through this was town was the last to capture on the road to Ba Sing Se the Earth Army put up a good fight.

They passed a Fire nation tank that was badly damaged and on fire due to the front being crushed by a giant boulder. Dante thought this could have happened to their tank also, regardless if it was a prototype. The Earth soldiers were trained well in putting their tanks out of commission.

Dante heard someone in the rubble and quickly turned to see if it was the enemy. It wasn't any Earth soldiers planning an ambush but a couple of civilians searching in the rubble scavenging; when they saw the tank they quickly bolted into the shadows.

A young man was kneeling at the road side with a dead young woman in his arms. His face was buried in her neck crying bitterly as rocked her lifeless form back and forth. The man heard the tank approaching and looked up at the Dante who was standing half way out of the tank turret hatch. The man gave Dante a piecing glare of hate. Dante knew there were going to casualties on both sides in a war; it's not easy to seeing civilians getting caught in the crossfire.

Then further down the street them past a grim sight of men hanging by a rope from the windows if buildings charred while others were still on fire. Dante has seen this type of punishment before. It was a reminder to the Fire troops follow orders or they will be harsh consequences. A reminder of not to be a deserter.

As they entered a square Dante sees who has been doing this grim work. Two soldiers were firebending at the dead man who was hanging from a tree. The officer, who was watching their progress, was noticed the tank and going past and saluted his fellow comrades. The officer was an in dress in the crimson armor and robes of the Fire Nation Royal Guard tasked with protecting the Royal Family as well as well as keeping the national pride strong in this war. Unforchantly they have gained a reputation of fanaticism to the Fire Lord. There were the elite of the elite as well as snobbiest of the snobs. Anyone where dared questioned them were imprisoned or killed. Often they would do this publicly. Dante hated them.

Lu Ten suddenly pushed the break as he saw something hanging above on the bridge in front of them. Dante looked up at and saw what man Lu Ten stop. At first he couldn't believe it, he wouldn't believe it. But his eyes weren't deceiving him, not this time. Tobi came through the secondary turret hatch and saw who was hanging from the bridge.

"Hozan? That damn idiot. " said Tobi upon seeing Hozan lifeless body swaying silently in the wind.

"Shut up!" Dante snapped at Tobi. "He did his duty, as requested."

Tobi flinch a little as he saw Dante's eyes faintly glowing crimson. But he scoffed at that notion. "His duty? If he did his duty h e would have came back to the tank. No, he was a traitor."

"He was one of us." Lu Ten sadly reminded Tobi from inside the tank. The silent mercenary were looking out of the view port he too felt remorse for his comrade Hozan.

"Drive on to headquarters." Dante ordered having enough of this area of town.

As the Tank past underneath Dante gave one last look to Hozan; Hozan's eyes were closed and his face did look as if he suffered in anyway. He looked as if he was … asleep.

As they moved on a bright flash and emanated behind the tank. Dante refused to look behind him. He knew what happened given that the entire area had burning corpses of Fire Nation soldiers who were caught deserting.

::

**NOW**

Looking back at that incident Dante told Toph there was nothing could do. But he wished he tried. Toph gave Dante a reassuring punch in the arm. He chuckled as they enjoyed the rest high-speed travel while it lasted. Appa was somewhere they just had to look for him, though they pray he is their **journey** out of the desert wasn't going to an easy one, but that is another story for another day.


	12. Chapter 12

**BOOK TWO: EARTH**

**CHAPTER 12: ****THE SERPENT'S PASS**

**::**

**::**

After the events in the desert Team Avatar is situated at the waterfall pond. Sokka is surveying a map. Toph is sitting with her feet in the water, splashing them back and forth. Aang is swimming, briefly going underwater for a moment and bends an ice cube around him for the amusement of floating on top of the water. V was submerged in the water looking up from the bottom watering the sunlight shine through the crystal clear ripples on the surface. Dante relaxed on a large in the warm sunlight.

Katara is walked to the top of the lake near the waterfall. "Waterbending bomb! Yeah!" Jumps into the water. The splash sends V and Aang goes flying out of the water, soaks Sokka, Dante, Toph, and the maps which Sokka tried to protect.

"You sunk my battleship!" Griffon laughed. Shadow on the other hand shook his fur free of the water and began to lick his himself clean.

"Sure, five thousand year-old maps from the spirit library. Just splash some water on 'em." Sokka says sarcastically.

The sun showed off Katara's good side, the water on her skin sparked like tiny stars. "Sorry." She says coming out of the water wringing her hair dry and bends the water off the map.

Everyone gathered around the map. "So, did you figure out what route we're going to take?" Aang asked.

Sokka looked over the map again before answering. "Okay, we just got out of the desert, so we must be around here. And we need to go to Ba Sing Se, which is here. It looks like the only passage connecting the south to the north is this sliver of land called the Serpent's Pass."

"You sure that's the best way to go?" Toph asked.

"It's the only way. I mean, it's not like we have Appa to fly us there." Sokka said insensitively.

"Shush up about Appa. Can't you at least try to be sensitive?" Katara retorted quietly.

"Katara, it's okay. I know I was upset about losing Appa before, but I just want to focus on getting to Ba Sing Se and telling the Earth King about the solar eclipse." Aang said calmly with an uncaring air.

Surprised Katara smiled."Oh ... well, okay. I'm glad you're doing better."

"Then to Ba Sing Se we go. No more distractions." Sokka concluded.

Dante slapped his leg in satisfaction. "To the place dreams go to get a second job."

Suddenly, Toph turned around upon sensing the vibrations three refugees arriving. Upon seeing Team Avatar in the waterfall they greeted the strangers kindly. "Hello there, fellow refugees!"

Sokka was not surprised to see more distractions appearing out of the blue. However he half expected them to be Chong and his merry nomadic band of idiots hippies. These refugees are Than, his wife Lily and his sister.

"So, you guys are headed to Ba Sing Se, too?" asked Aang.

"Sure are. We're trying to get there before my wife Ying has her baby." Than said rubbing the heavily swollen belly of joy of his wife Ying.

"Great! We can travel through the Serpent's Pass together." Katara offered kindly.

All three of the refugees look up in shock as if their hearts skipped a beat. "The Serpent's Pass? Only the truly desperate take that deadly route!" Ying said horrified that these young people would take that route.

"Deadly route." Toph sarcastically punches Sokka in the arm sending him to the ground. "Great pick, Sokka!"

Sokka stood up. "Well, we are desperate."

"You should come with us to Full Moon Bay. Ferries take refugees across the lake. It's the fastest way to Ba Sing Se.

"And it's hidden, so the Fire Nation can't find it." Ying reassured Team Avatar.

"Hmm ... peaceful ferry ride or deadly pass?" Katara pondered.

**FULL MOON BAY.**

A pair of guards watched the secret entrance to the bay; they received news of more folks come through and lowed a portion of the wall. Team Avatar and the refugees entered inside a vast cave with thousands of refugees as far as their eyes (Or Toph's feet) can see.

"I can't believe how many people's lives have been uprooted by the Fire Nation." Katara said.

Than sighed. "We're all looking for a better life, safe behind the walls of Ba Sing Se."

"_**As many stars in heaven and sand on the seashore and that came out of the ark, so shall your descendants be.**_" V quoted verse from the book of Genesis.

One of the ferries departs for the exit out of the sea cave which was a large narrow opening. Zuko and Iroh are on board it as it makes its way to Ba Sing Se. Iroh was deep in thought and found truly … ironic. "Who would have thought after all these years, I'd return to the scene of my greatest military disgrace ... AS A TOURIST!" Iroh whips around to Zuko with a floral hat on his head.

"Look around. We're not tourists, we're refugees." Zuko reminds his uncle and takes a sip of some food before spitting it back out. "UGH! I'm sick of eating rotten food, sleeping in the dirt. I'm tired of living like this!"

Zuko's exclamation was heard by someone was maybe have a way of making things better.

"Aren't we all?" said a voice causing Zuko and Iroh turn to see young man with wheat in his mouth. "My name's Jet and these are my Freedom Fighters, Smellerbee and Longshot."

"Hey." Smellerbee introduced. Longshot simply nods.

"Hello." Zuko replied with his eyes to the sea not wanting to engage in conversation.

Jet wanted to make offer to Iroh and Zuko. And offer they couldn't refuse. "Here's the deal. I hear the captain's eating like a king while the refugees have to feed off his scraps. Doesn't seem fair, does it?"

"What sort of king is he eating like?" Iroh asked.

"The fat, happy kind." Jet replied.

Iroh's mouth hangs open as he starts to drool. There is nothing better that to eat like a fat, happy king.

"You want to help us "liberate" some food?" Jet asked.

Zuko decided he had enough of living in squalor. He tosses the bowl of rotten food into the water, it was time he got his lion's share for once.

"I'm in."

::

**FULL MOON BAY**

In order to enter the land of the free one by have a _key_ to unlock the door as well as being able to fit through the door. At the station Team Avatar waited in line to get their tickets. But the line was long and they had to wait. Katara decided to ask V if he could tell a story.

"V, I wanted to ask if that is really you name." Katara asked. Wondering if a letter/syllable was truly his name.

"**"I have no name; I am but two days old..."** Kidding,I have a lot by a lot of names. I traveled a long distance and people have called me many ones while I had to take different to hide from certain folks as well."

"But what is your birth name?" Katara asked.

V took a moment to think back to what his mother called him. "… **Valen**"

Dante came back with a new lute in his hands. "Valen? Ah … now that is name I haven't heard in a long time."

"Doesn't really matter, you can call me whatever suits you."

"Where did you get that?" Aang asked.

Dante looked down at his lute. "This … oh, it fell off a cart. You got a problem with lutes falling off wagons." Dante then played and impressive rhythm until the loud voice of the Ticket lady surprised everyone in line.

"NO! I told you already ... no vegetables on the ferry! One cabbage slug could destroy the entire ecosystem of Ba Sing Se! Security!"

A Homeland Security platypus bear destroys the cabbage cart. "AHHH! MY CABBAGES!" screamed the Cabbage Merchant as e is carried away by security. Cabbage Merchant seems to not be able to catch a break.

"Next!" The Ticket Lady ordered.

Aang stepped up and looked upward to the high desk of the Ticket Lady. "Um, Six tickets for the ferry to Ba Sing Se, please." He asked politely.

"Passports?"

"Uh ... no one told us we had to have passports." Aang asked awkwardly.

Sokka stepped in to help with the situation. "Don't you know who this is? He's the Avatar!"

"Ah, I see fifty Avatars a day and, by the way, not a very impressive costume." The Ticket Lady points to her left and Aang sees several impostors, big, small, dark skin, light skin, hair and no hair. He smiles upon seeing some who have been inspired by him.

Sokka gestures to Dante beside him. "What about him? He's the Strider!"

"I seen three hundred idiots dressed as the strider. And they all look alike. Only your outfit isn't like theirs." The Ticket lady points to her right and Dante sees several impostors. They all were where red coats and with white hair in various styles with swords with a grinning skull on the hilt.

Dante Shrugged. "Well at least my fans like that fantasy version of me."

"So true." V said breaking the fourth wall and looked at the readers.

"Besides, no animals allowed. Do I need to call security?" the Ticket Lady growled.

The Homeland Security platypus bear chomps down on the cabbage causing Momo to hide in fear.

"That won't be necessary." Aang assured her of his corporation.

The Ticket Lady shouted for the next person in line but Toph decided to step up to the plate. "I'll take care of this. My name is Toph Beifong, and I'll need six tickets." Toph presents The Ticket Lady her passport. _A golden passport_.

"Ah, the golden seal of the flying boar! It is my pleasure to help anyone of the Beifong family."

"It is your pleasure. As you can see, I am traveling to Ba Sing Se on vacation with my husband. Whom my parents chosen for me." Toph held out her hand. Dante looked at Aang, Katara and Sokka who looked at him with a surprised expression.

"We'll … I don't want to be an illegal immigrate." Dante whispered. He walks up to Toph and takes her hand into his.

"My congratulations on you finding a match." Ticket Lady says sincerely.

"Also as you can see I am blind and the one with the tattoos and cane is handles my money while these three imbeciles are my valets." Toph sweeps her arm behind her presenting her friends to the hesitant clerk. Katara, Aang and Sokka smile like idiots while V does complication mathematics on a clipboard, all trying their best to sell it.

"But, the animal-"the ticket lady says nervously.

"-is my seeing-eye lemur." Toph corrects.

"Well, normally it's only one ticket per passport, but this document is so official ... I guess it's worth six tickets." The Ticket Lady stamps an approval seal on the tickets.

"Thank you very much." Toph retrieved the tickets. "Come husband." Toph said giving Dante a smack on his ass. Dante jumped a little from the sudden sting. When Toph wants to lie she is excellent liar.

"All right, we scammed that lady good!" Sokka exclaimed.

Suddenly, a security guard grabs Sokka from behind causing everyone to stop and looked behind at him. "Tickets and passports please."

"Is there a problem?" he asks.

"Yeah, I got a problem with you! I've seen your type before. Probably sarcastic, think you're hilarious and let me guess, you're traveling with the Avatar."

"Do I know you?"

"You mean you don't remember? Maybe you'll remember this!"

The security guard kisses Sokka on the cheek. After a moment Sokka face light up in happiness.

"SUKI!" Sokka embraces her tightly.

"Sokka, it's good to see you!" Suki smiles back.

Dante raised an eyebrow upon hearing name of the Kyoshi warrior. He remembered when Zuko invaded Kyoshi Island. It was Suki and other Kyoshi warriors who defend Aang against them. They were fierce warriors that worked as a team; Suki is perhaps the fiercest of the bunch and warrior fellow warrior Dante has grown to respect.

"So we meet again." Dante said while walking to over to the Kyoshi warrior.

Suki looked at Dante and after moment wondering who his is she to a defensive stance. "Easy, Suki he's on our side now." Sokka tried to calm his friend down and not make such a big scene to attract security.

"My contract ended at the North Pole. I switched sides. Not to the winning side but the good guy side, if such thing ever existed."

"Is that so?" Suki said unsure if that is was true.

Dante nodded. "Yeah, I figured I get more money if I plundered the vaults of the capital of the Fire Nation; besides it great to another talented warrior who gave me an ass kicking."

"Talented?" Suki lowered her defensive stance and relaxed at the comment.

V walked up to Suki twirling his cane. "Of course, not just anyone can kick Dante's ass and live to tell about. I'm his little brother V, how do you do?"

"Charmed." Suki said with a smile.

The gang and Suki talk in a different location of the station in one of the lookout towers.

"You look so different without your makeup! And the new outfit." Katara commented. No one of them has ever seen her without her makeup or armor.

Suki shrugged. "That crabby lady makes all the security guards wear them. And look at you, sleeveless guy. Been working out?"

"Ahhh, I'll grab a tree branch and do a few chin touches every now and then. Nothing major." Sokka shows off by stretching and patting his skinny arm.

"He does, really. So much so he looks like hasn't done anything at all." Dante said with a stab to Sokka personality.

"So, are the other Kyoshi Warriors around?" Aang asked.

Suki sighs,"Yeah. After you left Kyoshi, we wanted to find a way to help people. We ended up escorting some refugees and we've been here ever since." Momo jumps up next to her and she scratches his head. "Hi, Momo! Good to see you too! So why are you guys getting tickets for the ferry? Wouldn't you just fly across on Appa?"

That question cause everyone to look sad at how convent it would be if their giant furry friend was still with them.

"Appa is missing. We hope to find him in Ba Sing Se." Katara inform Suki of the bad news.

"I never thought I miss that Itchy SOB but I do." Griffon said landing sitting beside Suki.

"I'm so sorry to hear that. Are you doing okay, Aang?" Suki asked Aang.

Aang saw everyone's concern faces. "I'm doing fine. Would everybody stop worrying about me?"He reassured them a second time.

Suddenly Ying called up far below from the ground floor. "Avatar Aang, you have to help us! Someone took all of our belongings; our passports, our tickets, everything's gone!"

"I'll talk to the lady for you." Aang assured them. Hopefully they can get this straighten out.

Back at the desk Aang got rejected despite his pleas. "No passports, no tickets!" Ticket ladyStamps a "**DENIED**" stamp on Aang's forehead.

"But she's pregnant and all of her stuff was stolen! You have to make an exception!"

"No exceptions! If I just gave away tickets willy-nilly to anyone, there would be no more order! You know what that means, no more CIVILIZATION!"

"What if we gave them our tickets?"

"No!"

"But ..."

"NEXT!" Ticket Lady shouted shower of spit on Aang which indicate for him to give up.

However wasn't incline to give up on the first try. He returned to the family with good news "Don't worry, you'll get to the city safely. I'll lead you through the Serpent's Pass."

Moments later they started made way to the exit which lead to the Serpent's Pass.

"I can't believe we gave up our tickets and now we're going through the Serpent's Pass." Whined Sokka, again.

"Can't believe you're still complaining about it." Toph retorted.

"If you're going to complain like a little baby bitch then shut the hell up!" Griffon squawked at Sokka.

"I'm coming too!" Suki called out to them

"Are you sure that's a good idea?" Sokka asked.

"Sokka, I thought you'd want me to come."

"I do, it's just–"

"Just what?"

"Nothing. I'm glad you're coming."

Sokka decided to drop it.

Outside the Serpent's pass was a land bridge so narrow that the path on it can only be done in single file.

"This is the Serpent's Pass? I thought it would be a little more wind-y, you know, like a serpent. Huh, I guess they misnamed it."

V disagreed. "I have walked this road many times. It bends like a serpent."

Ying walked over to the post to see a warning sign. "Look at this writing! How awful!"

"Want does it say?" Toph asked.

Katara walked over to post. "It says, "**Abandon hope**"."

"How can we abandon hope? It's all we have!" Ying wept.

Aang had an unorthodox theory he heard a long time ago. "I don't know. The monks used to say that hope was just a distraction, so maybe we do need to abandon it."

"What are you talking about?" Katara asked wanting to know why Hope should be abandoned.

Hope is not going to get us into Ba Sing Se and it's not going to help find Appa. We need to focus on what we're doing right now and that's getting across this path."

"He's right, ya' know. In war the soldiers can't rely on some as fickle as hope. They have to make it happen."

"Okay, if you say so." Katara said going along with it.

The large began on the long journey arcos the Serpent's Pass. At a certain point they all pass by a sailing Fire Nation ship."The Fire Nation controls the western lake. Rumor has it they're working on something big on the other side of it and don't want anyone to find out what it is." Suki informed.

A part of the rock gives out, causing Than to fall. Toph stops it from falling and lifts him back up with earthbending. The rock falls to the water, which the Fire Nation ship notices. Then suddenly a hollow whistle soared through the air and impacted on the surface above the pass.

"They've spotted us! Let's go, let's go!" Sokka pointed out.

The Fire ship launched a fireball from the one board catapult. Aang gets on his glider and deflects the fireball back at the ship temporarily halting it's movement. Another fireball hits the mountain, causing several pieces of rock over Suki to fall. Sokka pushes her out of the way. Toph bends out a part of the mountain to keep the rocks from falling on Sokka.

"Suki, are you okay? You have to be more careful! Come on!" Sokka helping Suki to his feet.

"Thanks for saving my life, Toph." Hey, no problem, Sokka." Toph pretend to be Sokka since he didn't thank Toph for saving his life.

Dante motioned for everyone to go past him. Fire ship didn't know they were about to kill Ying who was pregnant. He wasn't going to let them get away with that. He leaped off the edge and dived into the water below. Dante used waterbending to propel himself toward the hull of the ship as fast as a shark on the hunt.

The ship dropped anchor as the crew tried to put out the fire in the ship's tower. Nephilim then climbed up the anchor's chain till and peeked up to see if the was anyone one on deck. There were a few sailors rushing on the deck. Dante climbed about and made his to the door inside of the ship. If he remembered the layout of this model of Fire Nation ships the boiler room should be on the second level down below.

He finally opened the door with to see the sailors working hard to get the ship's vital system under control without over heat. There in the middle giving orders was a strong muscle man with a long braid down his back. Known that anyone of them will give let Dante walk in and blowup the boiler Dante closed metal loudly behind him.

"So are you the guys that fire on me while I was going for a stroll on the Serpents Pass?"

The big man in charge turned around and readies a warhammer. "I didn't know the Earth Kingdoms soldiers sent one guy to finish the job." He said with a growl.

"I'll finish the job, don't worry. But I like to ask: what is Fire Nation working is on at the Western Lake?" Dante said summoning rebellion on his back and readying it in his hand.

"I'm not telling you. But if I kill you I'll whisper it in your ear before I send you lifeless corpse to be food for the sea –GAAHHKK." the boiler room boss suddenly flew backwards to one of the tank speared through by Rebellion in his cheat. Dante pressed the blade deeper before giving it a good cut across the abdomen letting the two halves fall on the floor. The crew of the Boiler room was in shock as their boss butchered so easily. 'No challenge here' Dante thought to himself.

A while later the boiler room was ready to be blown sky-high along with the rest of the ship. Dante cut a giant X on the wall and kicked out the lower triangle section letting the light and sea air rush inside. Dante inhaled deeply it was a wondered smell. He turned around to the remaining crew and the captain on the ship where were tied up next to the boiler tank. He rounded them up to insure their will be no survivors when the boiler he now sabotaged was going to explode violently in a few minutes.

"Hey, HEY! You just can't leave us here." the captain shouted nervously.

"Yes I can, Fire Fucker." Dante said in a sing song voice. "The captain goes down with the ship." Dante turns around and jumps backwards while giving the Captain and crew the finger. He landed in the water below and made his way to the pass and Earthbended a rock slab out to bring him back up to the path. The whole ship suddenly exploded and sank slowing into the watery deep.

He returned to the group who were waiting for him to return. "What happened?" Toph asked.

"I had to make sure the ship along with the crew was down for the count." He said.

"Was it necessary? It was already wounded." Suki asked question Dante's ethics.

"I had to; the surviving crewmen would have escaped on a lifeboat and went back to their base in the western lake. Soon more ships would come and search up and down Serpent's Pass until they found us. And last time I checked we have with us three refugees … plus one precious cargo. Even I got to do my part." Dante said walking past Suki.

"Thank you." Than said grateful that of this man risking his life to keep his family safe.

"Don't thank me; we're not out of the woods yet." Dante said.

Hours later, at sunset, the travelers set up their camp. Than rubbed his wife's feet having walked all day. Suki too was on her feet all day and now she spreads out her sleeping bag to get some rest.

"Suki, you shouldn't sleep there. Who knows how stable this ledge is, it could give away at any moment!" Sokka approached to voice his concern and moves her sleeping bag.

"Sokka, I'm fine, stop worrying!" Suki said.

Sokka realized what he was doing and gave up. "You're right, you're right, you're perfectly capable of taking care of yourself! WAIT! Oh, never mind, I thought I saw a spider, but, you're fine."

::

Back on the ferry under the cover of shadows Zuko, Jet, and Smellerbee sneak up to the food storage area. Jet breaks the door open with his twin tiger hook swords, and he and Zuko take some food one slash at the cords holding chickens he quickly bags them in middle air. Zuko stacks plates on plates and wraps them together.

"Guard's coming!" Smellerbee warned.

Longshot fires an arrow with a rope attached to it, allowing the three to slide down it. Longshot pulls it away before the guard notices.

Back at the pass, Aang is standing at the edge of the rock, looking out at the ocean, blankly. Katara approaches him to see how he is doing. "You know, it's okay to miss Appa."Katara said. Aang remains silent which makes her more concern. "What's going on with you? In the desert, all you cared about was finding Appa and now it's like you don't care about him at all."

Aang decided to let what's was going on. "You saw what I did out there. I was so angry about losing Appa that I couldn't control myself. I hated feeling like that."

"But now you're not letting yourself feel anything. I know sometimes it hurts more to hope and it hurts more to care. But you have to promise me that you won't stop caring." Katara hoped.

Aang still cared it's just that that at time he refuse to show it because he believes someone need to be strong through this whole journey. Katara didn't really see strength so much as a coldness as the winter ice of the South Pole "Come on, you need a hug." Katara holds out her arms to warm him up.

Aang respectfully bows before her "Thank you for your concern, Katara." Aang exits with Katara feeling more concern for Aang than before. Someone who needs a hug but turns it down may need a reason big enough to care again.

In the moonlight Dante reclines against a rock that over looked the camp while gazing at the moon. Suddenly he heard a footstep and he turned to his right quickly to see I was Suki standing a few feet away from him.

"Very few people can sneak up on me like that." Dante commented the Kyoshi warrior on her skill in the art of stealth.

"Well you can learn a lot from sneaking past on a wild tiger-Bear in the woods. Kyoshi warriors are also trained in that art of stealth. I can pass thru a bust crowd safely and can go totally unnoticed if I desired."

"But to disappear completely – that is a rare gift." Dante added. "When the Fire Nation closed in on the North Pole I knew it was going to be the final showdown with my friend Aang."

"You and Aang are friends?" Suki finding it hard to believe.

"Before he disappeared a hundred years ago I met him in the Southern Air Temple. I went with on his journeys across the globe. The two of us got into a lot of high-jinx. He's like a little brother to me."

"How did feel when he ran away?" Suki asked.

"Like watching Spider-man and Vergil turning to dust in front of my eyes when Thanos snapped his fingers." Dante replied.

"Who?" Suki asked confused on who he was talking about.

"Nothing … I was extremely sad, I thought he died. Plus with the Airbender genocide if the cycle went back around to Air the cycle will end there. But I had to be certain. That's why I returned to the Fire Nation. If they captured him I would know.

"That was a hundred years ago. You ought to be an old man by now …" Suki still found Dante's claim to be outlandish.

"Well I was Kyoshi's lover for a time." Dante added while pondering to himself.

"You and Kyoshi were lovers? No way." Suki was not buying it.

"Eh … not many would believe me, not the point." Dante said after a yawn. "So what's with Sokka?"

"That's what I intend to find out. Do you know where he is?" Suki asked.

Dante gestured to his left indicating that Sokka went that down that way. Suki walked down the path. Dante decided to turn his attention back to the Ying. He focused on her belly, particularly the baby within, and discovered something very … odd.

In another part of the Pass, Sokka sits by himself, until Suki approaches by the time a cloud reveals the moon behind it.

"It's a beautiful moon." Suki points out.

"Yeah, it really is." Sokka said a bit glum.

"Sokka, I know you're just trying to help, but I can take care of myself."

"I know you can."

"Then why are you acting so overprotective?"

"It's so hard to lose someone you care about. Something happened at the North Pole and I couldn't protect someone. I don't want anything like that to ever happen again."

"I lost someone I care about. He didn't die, he just went away. I only had a few days to get to know him, but he was smart and brave and funny ..."

Sokka became jealous by Suki's description of another guy. "Who is this guy? Is he taller than me?"

"No, he's about your height."

"Is he better-looking?"

"It is you, stupid!"

"Oh."

As if that was obvious enough, now Sokka feels embarrassed that he would think there was another guy. The two prepare to kiss, but Sokka pulls back at the last moment.

"I can't." Sokka said sadly.

"I'm sorry." Suki said guiltily

"No, you shouldn't be." Sokka replied.

He understood what she was trying to do but the time is not right. It was too soon it seems.

::

Back on the ferry Jet passes out food they stole to other travelers. The other Freedom Fighters, Zuko, and Iroh sit together.

"So, Smellerbee. That's an unusual name for a young man." Iroh decided to begin a conversation.

"Maybe it's because I'm not a man ... I'm a girl!" Smellerbee stands up and walks away infuriated.

"Oh, now I see. It's a beautiful name for a lovely girl!" Iroh called out to her to show that meant no harm.

Longshot approaches Smellerbee and gestures at her that Iroh really meant no harm. "I know, you're right. As long as I'm confident with who I am, it doesn't matter what other people think. Thanks, Longshot." Longshot nods at her.

Jet sits down with Zuko and Iroh. "From what I heard, people eat like this every night in Ba Sing Se. I can't wait to set my eyes on that giant wall."

"It is a magnificent sight." Iroh's agrees

"So you've been there before? Asked Jet

"Once. When I was a ... different man." Iroh said sadly.

"I've done some things in my past that I'm not proud of, but that's why I'm going to Ba Sing Se: for a new beginning. A second chance." Jet said wanting to atone for he done, or rather what he failed to do.

Iroh nodded. "That's very noble of you. I believe people can change their lives if they want to. I believe in second chances."

Zuko heard their words. If there was hope for a new beginning perhaps he would take it.

::

Dawn came to the Serpent's Pass. The travelers continued on until notice a section of the pass is below the sea level, and not able to be navigated the normal way.

She divides the water, allowing everyone to walk through the drowned out path. "Everyone single file! Aang, I need help!" Katara says.

Aang helps creating an air bubble over the whole group. Momo's curiosity is aroused by the fish. He dives in the water, only to return back in fear when he sees a large shadow. The rest of them notice snaking over them.

"What is that thing?" Katara says.

The shadow breaks through the water, breaking the divide. Toph quickly uses her earthbending to raise the ground they are standing on above the water. The shadow is actually a large serpent, which appears from the water with a shriek.

"I think I just figured out why they call it the Serpent's Pass! Suki, you know about giant sea monsters, make it go away!" Sokka shouted.

"Just because I live near the unagi doesn't mean I'm an expert!" Suki shouted back.

"I'll talk to it." V stepped forward.

"How?" Dante asked.

"Using the language of the dragons." V replied.

"Oh … hey wait a minute. This is a sea serpent not a dragon." Dante objected.

"Actually it's a Sea Dragon. And do you have a better way to tell it to leave us in peace."

"No." Dante replied giving up.

V stood at the edge and shouted aloud: **"DOVAH!"**

The Sea Dragon turned his attention to V as he spoke the language of the Dragons. The Sea Dragon responded in a deep guttural accent of the dragon tongue.

"It speaks!" Katara asked amazed by the creature's ability to speak. "What did it say?"

"Well he speaks a slight slur of the dragon language. My guess is that when he settles in the seas he lost the ability to leave this world and is been out of touch with his brothers and sisters on the shore. He says he's hunting a ship of the "Fire Folk"."

"Oh that's easy I'll tell him." Dante walked to the edge of the rock and spoke to the sea dragon in the Dovah tongue. "I destroyed the ship."

The Sea dragon reared back and hissed. It spoke in an annoyed tone. V translated to the rest. "He says … he was hunting it down to eat the crewmen on board. When Dante stole it's kill he practically insulted him …"

"**By the judgment of the sea you and your friends are doom to die."** Bellowed the Sea dragon.

Dante did not liking the sound of that. He summoned Rebellion on his back and placed his hand of the hilt. V follows suit and readies for battle. Sokka being the cowards as he is grabs Momo and holds him up to appease the king of the sea. "Oh great and powerful sea serpent, please accept this humble and tasty offering. Thank you."

"Sokka!" Katara shouts

Blasts the Serpent back with a burst of air. "We'll distract it. Katara, get everyone across!"

Dante and V assist Aang in distracting serpent while Katara freezes the water to create an ice trail. Everyone except for Toph crosses. Katara tries to ice up the serpent, but it fails.

"Toph, come on, it's just ice!" Sokka urges her on.

Toph feels the ice but her sense of sight is restricted. In a way Toph is sort of blind when out of her element. "Actually, I'm going to stay on my little island, where I can see!"

Dante stabs Rebellion in its side and held on the serpent dives in and out of the water to shake him off takes. Suddenly it takes out half the island. "Okay, I'm coming!" Toph slowly crosses the ice as the battle rages behind her.

"You're doing great! Just follow the sound of my voice!" Sokka coached.

"It's hard to ignore." Toph said ironically.

The serpent slams down the ice trail, dropping Toph into a struggle to stay above water. "Help! I can't swim!" Dante heard Toph's plea and released his grip on Rebellion leaving it stuck in the Sea dragon's side. He propelled himself through the water quickly toward Toph.

"I'm coming, Toph!" shouted Sokka. Before he can do anything, Suki jumps in for the save.

"Help!" Toph shouts but finally falls below the water, but Dante reached her in time and pulls her up before she drowns.

Toph gasped and smiled. "Oh Sokka, you saved me! MMMWWA!" Toph thought it is Sokka who saved her and gives Dante a big kiss on the cheek.

"Actually, it's me." Dante informs her with an awkward smile.

Toph eyes widened as she chuckles in embarrassment ". Oh ... well ... heh, you can go ahead and let me drown now."

"Sure. Suki you can let Toph drown now." Dante said handing Toph to Suki who was trying not to giggle at the whole scene.

Meanwhile, the serpent is caught in a whirlpool created by Aang and Katara. V used Griffon to attack with blasts of lighting to weaken it further. The force of it slams the serpent into the mountain, causing it to fall back below water. Upon seeing the three returns, the rest of the travelers cheer. Dante climbed out of the water and reached out to telekinetically pull Rebellion out of the Sea dragon's scales and into his hand. But it did come as soon as he thought. He tried again harder to summon it back to its master … Nothing.

"Did you lose something?" V walked over and held out Rebellion. Dante accepted with a sigh of relief. "Thanks, brother."

"Don't mention it."V replies back. This wasn't the first time Dante thought he was losing his grip on his powers. But it was happening a little too often the closer they come to Ba Sing Se.

Moments later the traveler finally reached Ba Sing Se's wall. "There's the wall! Now it's nothing but smooth sailing to Ba Sing Se."

Ying suddenly groans in pain. "Ugh … Oh no!"

"Leave it to Sokka to jinx it." Dante muttered.

"What's wrong?" Sokka asked.

"The baby's coming!" Ying announces.

Sokka began to panicked like a chicken with it head chopped off. "What? Now? Can't you hold it in or something?"

"Sokka, calm down. I helped Gran-Gran deliver lots of babies back home."

"This isn't the same as delivering an arctic seal! This is a real ... human ... thing!" Sokka panicked more in disagreement.

"You know this is why you are going to be a doctor." Dante responded.

Katara rolled her eyes. "Yes, and it's called a _baby_ and I helped her deliver plenty of those, too." Aang, get some rags. Sokka, water. Toph, I need you to make an earth tent, a big one." Toph earthbends the rock to form a tent. "Suki, come with me."

"This is it, look like Ba Sing Se is gonna have to wait." V said.

::

Back on the ferry Zuko head out to front of the ferry when he stops upon see the strange boy from the desert staring out into the thick mist. This young man was as tall as Zuko was and yet he appeared like a young boy in the face. Yet his limbs seemed strong enough for him.

"Who or what _are_ you?" Zuko asked as he approached.

"I'm a shadow of my former shadow. My days as a mortal are gone but my life as a spirit warrior is now. I go by the name of **Indra**. Have you thought about my proposal?" Indra asked.

"You said you will offer help by giving me powers. I must ask what in it for you?" Zuko got right to the point.

"You seek to return to the Fire Nation in your princely glory and the Avatar as your prisoner. I simply want to go back home in the west. But the only way to do that is to give you the power to capture the Avatar. That way we both can go home."

"Are you outcast?" Zuko asked.

"In a way I am, my throne was a volcano in the Fire Nation. With my powers I had created and army of fire and rock to guard it and me. The people nearby heard of me and worshiped me as a God. Then Fire Lord Sozin attacked my kingdom and bound me in chains to use me as a weapon of many years. You were kicked out for speaking out of turn. I escaped so they couldn't abuse my power anymore. Fire Lord Ozai sought to use me as a weapon in this war. Part of my power is gone but I believe I can regain it by returning to the volcano." Indra says.

Moments later Jet approaches Zuko. "You know, as soon as I saw your scar, I knew exactly who you were. You're an outcast, like me. And we outcasts have to stick together. We have to watch each other's backs. Because no one else will."

"I've realized lately that being on your own isn't always the best path." Zuko says. The last time he did that it almost got him killed by his sister, Azula.

Indra, unseen by everyone except for Zuko, nodded his head in agreement. Zuko welcomes Indra's help and the power he wields.

::

Back at the pass Ying is breathing heavily as the baby delivery continues. "You're doing great, Ying. Sokka, where's that water? Now get ready to push. One ... two ... three, push!" Sokka enters the tent with the water amidst Ying groaning and passes out hard.

"Keep going … I see feet. Wait a minute, stop, stop, stop!"!" Katara said which got Dante's attention. He rushed to the entrance of the tent stop the delivery.

Ying stopped pushing confused at what was happening. "What is it … What's wrong?"

"The baby is coming out the wrong way; the baby needs to come out head first." Dante said as he entered inside.

"It the safest way." Katara agrees.

"How are you going to turn child around while she is still inside?" Thane asked concerned.

Dante wasted no time washing his hands and arms in water in a blow. "I delivered babies before but Katara I need your help."

Katara looked and Suki who shrugged. "Okay, what's the plan?"

Dante explained that he's going to reach inside and slowly and carefully turn the baby around. Katara will use waterbending to keep the remaining fluids around the baby to make the rotation smoother. Thane was a little nervous with this procedure; largely for his child's safety and his wife's modesty. But When Dante hands entered inside Thane saw Dante's face was in total focus. Katara gently Waterbended the remaining fluid, help with the changing of the baby's position. It was a slow process and yet the stakes were high.

"How are we doing?" Dante asked in the midst of the slow rearranging.

"I'm fine." Ying replied.

"Good … good." Dante said quietly as he continued to focus.

After what seem like an eternity the baby was position correctly. Dante gently pulled his and back out when he suddenly stop.

"What's wrong?" Katara asked concerned.

"Nothing is wrong … it's just … your baby grabbed onto my pointer finger and won't let go." Dante informed as he didn't know what to do.

Suki thought for a moment and came to a conclusion. "I think their baby just wanted to thank you."

Dante looked at Suki then at the refugees and finally at Katara. He felt the baby within releasing Dante's finger allowing his to pull out safely. Dante stood up and walked out before anyone could say anything. Dante went to the shore and washed his hands and forearms. He pauses after he was done and stares at his hands. He suddenly saw his vision beginning to blur from the warm tears that were coming down his still face. He smiled knowing he did a job well done for the first time.

In no time the baby finally arrives and begins to cry loudly. Aang, Toph, V Dante and Sokka are all waiting outside the tent.

"It's a girl!" Katara announced.

"So, you want to go see the baby, or are you going to faint like an old lady again?"

"No, no, I'm good this time." Sokka reassures her.

"Well let's see who's new in the world." V says as he and Dante entered inside.

Aang waited outside until they were all ready to go. Katara on the other hand came out to persuade Aang to come inside. He finally did enter to see the new life.

"She sounds healthy." Toph sad going by what she can hear.

"She's beautiful." Katara praises.

"It's so ... squishy looking." Sokka comments upon seeing the new born.

"The Angel that presided 'oer my birth said, "Little creature, form'd of Joy and Mirth, "Go love without the help of anything on Earth."" V quoted a poetic verse.

"Well it's been a while since I help delivered a baby. This one seems to have a good start." Dante commented.

"Yeah, not bad for a firebender … Oh shit!" Suki said and covered her mouth in what she accidently blurted out in the moment of happiness for the newborn.

The refugees became quiet in surprise and shook at what they just heard about the identity of the young man who helped make the child's delivery safer.

"Wow, like you showed no restraint at all. I expected this from Sokka but not the person he would have thing with. Well I'll just exit stage left." Dante said and turned to leave until the baby began to cry again. Dante stopped in his tracks and turned back around entering back inside the tent. The baby suddenly quieted down.

"It appears the baby wants you stay." V deduced.

"Wait sir, please stay." Ying pleaded.

Dante looked at them. "Why?"

"You helped our daughter be born safely. We are eternally thankful." Than bowed.

"Thank you." Ying bowed her head also.

"Well ... If anyone should be thanking, thank Katara. She the one who took command of the satiation. I just helped." Dante gestured to Katara who smiled with satisfaction. Aang looks at the baby girl begins to smile as a warm joy begins to fill him.

"What should we name her?" Than asked his wife.

"I want our daughter's name to be unique. I want it to mean something."

Aang tears finally came but they were tears of joy as he finally regains something that was misplaced. "I've been going through a really hard time lately. But you've made me ... hopeful again."

Than then got an idea of a name for their new daughter based on a word term in one of the Earth Kingdom's many languages. "I know what I want to name our baby now. _Espera_.

Ying smiles in agreement. "That's a perfect name. _Espera_."

**Espera** – in translation means **Hope**.

Outside the tent Aang meets with Katara while everyone stand next to the tent talking. "I thought I was trying to be strong. But really I was just running away from my feelings. Seeing this family together, so full of happiness and love, it's reminded me how I feel about Appa ... and how I feel about you."

Katara sheds some tears. Aang and Katara embrace, Katara's eyes still watering. The others approach to see Aang off.

"I promise, I'll find Appa as fast as I can. I just really need to do this." Aang vows.

"See you in the big city." Sokka says.

Toph punches Aang in the arm for good luck. "Say hi to that big fuzzball for me."

"Wind fly like a sparrow and search like a fox, Aang." V says.

"Until then, peace out." Dante adds with the 'victory' hand signal.

"You'll find him, Aang." Katara send her blessing.

"I know. Thank you, Katara. You ready, Momo?"

Aang and Momo fly off with the rest wave goodbye.

As everyone prepares to set off of the wall Suki approaches Sokka. "Sokka, it's been really great to see you again." she began.

Sokka knows what this is leading to. "Whoa, hold on. Why does it sound like you're saying goodbye?"

"I came along because I wanted to make sure you got through the Serpent's Pass safely. But now I need to get back to the other Kyoshi Warriors."

"So you came along to protect me?"

"Listen, I'm really sorry about last night. We were talking ... and saying things ... and I just got carried away and before I knew it –"

Sokka kisses Suki to shut her up. "You talk too much." The two share a deep kiss. He said she shouldn't be sorry for doing something out of affection for another person.

Aang and Momo fly to the top of the Outer Wall of Ba Sing Se. it was high as it was wide. However, Aang quickly notices something that puts pain to the plan of finding Appa. Monolithic drill with a Fire Nation insignia is slowly heading for the wall.

Aang sighs, "Sorry Momo, Appa's going to have to wait." He then returns back to his friends.

The _second_ Siege of Ba Sing Se is about to begin.


End file.
